The heat of sports doubles when you visit the site. In particular, the peak emotion of the heat emitted by the stadium, which was filled with every single seat, and the cheers of tens of thousands of fans at the same time, can only be enjoyed at a place where “full-fledged spectators” were recorded. Professional baseball, which is showing relentless accumulation of spectators, Kia and Hanwha, which are leading the two sides, have been at the center of the successive sales.퀸알바
◆ A traditional masterpiece heading for ‘V12’
KIA is a popular team representing the KBO league. The enthusiasm for baseball in Gwangju, where it is from, is not bad. And this year, it was given unusual results to enthusiastic fans. KIA, which had been classified as a leading candidate even before the opening of the season, is advancing even stronger after opening the lid.
In the off-season, the new coach Lee Bum-ho quickly accelerated the chaotic atmosphere, with former coach Kim Jong-kook putting down the baton on charges of misconduct. Last year, an ace of overwhelming performance called James Nail appeared in the position of a foreign pitcher, which was a weakness, and “Baby Tiger” Kim Do-young was at the forefront of the team’s upward trend, filling out his potential with 10 home runs and 10 steals per month for the first time in the KBO.
Fans responded by visiting the stadium. Until Memorial Day, a national holiday, the team had sold out a total of 16 games. Notably, the team sold out six consecutive home games, starting with the game against Doosan on April 24 and the game against KT on April 2, tying a record for the longest crowd march in the team’s history. It is the first time in 29 years since August 1995 when the team was the predecessor Haitai. KIA will aim for the most full-capacity spectators in a season (in 2009, the end of the game 21) and the most cumulative spectators in a season (in 2017, 1024,830).
◆ ‘I’m happy’
These are words that symbolize Hanwha. They are also cheering songs that fill the Eagles Park of Hanwha Life Insurance in Daejeon every day this year. They declared the end of the rebuilding process by chanting “Different us” along with a big boon that Ryu Hyun-jin, the monster of the off-season, returned in a surprise move. He even showed unusual potential by boasting consecutive wins in the early days of the season. The season does not go as expected. Disappointed by the upturn, the team once fell to the bottom.
Nevertheless, home fans add strength to their squad by banking on their unwavering support. Early in the season, the team sold out 17 consecutive home games, the longest record in KBO league history. On April 30 and Wednesday, the last day of the season’s record, the team even sold out on weekdays for 3,262 days. The cumulative total sold out soared to 21 times, tying the record for the most sold out in a single season in the club’s history. The team boasts a sales ratio of 72.4 percent (21/29).
There is nothing left to do but run. Former coach Choi Won-ho, who left the team due to poor performance, has appointed veteran coach Kim Kyung-moon as vacant position. His top priority is rebounding in performance and advancing to the postseason along with the hero of the big achievement of the Beijing Olympics gold medal.