Last spring, when he was on the verge of retirement, Park Byung-ho’s request for a transfer while even retiring was also in line with his desire for “400 home runs.”스포츠토토
At that time, Park had to hit 383 home runs in the league, but he didn’t have much time because he had fewer chances to play due to poor performance in the early days of the season. He wanted to achieve 400 home runs in the KBO League before retirement, but he asked the team to transfer to play more games.
At 38, Park believed that he could do it enough. And he hit 400 home runs on his new nest in a trade.
Park Byung-ho started the home game against the Doosan Bears of the 2024 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 4th and hit a home run in the 2nd inning to reach his 400th KBO League. He set a milestone in front of a packed crowd of 24,000 people who visited Lions Park on the day.
Park is the third player to hit 400 home runs in the KBO league after Lee Seung-yeop (467 home runs) and Choi Jeong (491 home runs). Park Byung-ho also set a new record in front of Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop, who hit 400 home runs for the first time in the KBO league.
In terms of pace in the early days of this season, Park’s attempt at 400 home runs was nothing short of overkill. Before his trade with the KT Wiz in late May, Park appeared in 44 games and hit only three home runs. He hit home runs consecutively right after moving to Samsung, but faltered again in the summer. Achieving the milestone seemed a long way off.
However, a reversal occurred in the middle of summer. After drawing seven arches during the month of August, he hit home runs in three consecutive games from a multi-homer game against the Kia Tigers on September 1 to a game against the Lotte Giants on September 3, and is on the verge of hitting 400 home runs. He hit home runs in four consecutive games against the Doosan Bears on April 4, topping the 400 mark. He achieved the 400 home runs that he had long aspired.
“I’m glad that I got 400 home runs faster than I thought. It means a lot to me, so I was very happy,” Park said. “I’ve been the home run king a lot while playing baseball, but as the number of home runs in my career reached late 300, I thought it would be a shame if I retire without getting 400. It was my biggest goal, but I’m glad it came true.”
This home run also meant a lot to Park in that it was his 20th home run for this season. From 2012 (31 home runs) when he was a member of the Heroes to 2022 (35 home runs) when he was a member of the KT Wiz, Park hit 20 home runs for the first time in a row. However, he hit 18 home runs last year, breaking his record. While some people naturally mentioned aging curve (a phenomenon in which his skills deteriorate as he gets older), he made a comeback by hitting 20 home runs.
“Last year, I was disappointed that my record of 20 homers in a row was broken. (20 homers) are meaningful because they are still proof that I can hit more long balls,” Park said. “My batting average is low because I am not good at hitting, but I think I am okay because I think I am playing my part in winning the game by scoring a lot at an important moment (through homers). I also suffered a hamstring injury after the trade, but I am glad that I am back in the second half of the year to help my team.”
Despite his retirement, he has achieved the 400 home runs mark that he has always wanted. “Park Byung-ho is a player that I look forward to going forward. I will support him until he hits 500 home runs,” coach Park Jin-man said. Some are cautiously predicting that he will be able to break Lee’s home run record (467 home runs) within the next few years.
However, Park shook his head. “I don’t think I will break Lee’s record at a time when I don’t know what my future will be next season (when the FA contract period is over), and I feel very satisfied just because I have exceeded the 400 home runs that I wanted.”
“My personal goal is over, to be honest,” he added. “I haven’t won a championship in the Korean Series, but I think it would be nice to go to the KS with the other team players and win a championship. My next goal is to win,” he said, renewing his commitment.