LG Twins infielder Koo Bon-hyuk was substituted as a third baseman in the top of the 10th inning of overtime at a home game against the NC Dinos, and faced off at bat in the bottom of the 11th inning. He hit a finishing hit with runners on the second and third bases with one out. It was an exquisite hit that fell between the right fielder, the first baseman and the second baseman. He gave his team an 8-7 victory.
At the time, Koo Bon-hyuk expressed his inner feelings, saying, “I wanted to hit it cool, but I don’t feel good because I think it became a lucky hit.”룸알바
Just two days later, he finished the game in a good way. In a home game against the KT Wiz in Jamsil on Tuesday local time, Koo Bon-hyeok stepped on the ground as a third baseman instead of Choi Seung-min in the top of the ninth inning. With the bases loaded with one outs in the bottom of the ninth inning 4-4, Koo hit a fastball of 144 km/h to hit the homer over the left fence. It was a finishing grand slam with a flying distance of 111.6 meters. He gave his team an 8-4 victory.
Koo Bon-hyuk’s walk-off home run, grand slam, and walk-off grand slam are all his first since his debut in 2019. He had his best day ever with his 23rd walk-off grand slam in the KBO League history.
After the game, Koo still looked reminiscent. “I heard something from my brothers (because of what he said after the NC match). As soon as I hit the ball, I thought the game was over. I didn’t expect it to pass, but it turned into a home run, which surprised me, too. As I was running around the base, I was thrilled and the ceremony started spontaneously,” he said with a smile.
“(Park Young-hyun) is a fastball pitcher. I expected him to win the game with fastballs, and I only aimed for fastballs,” he said. “They said, ‘You were really cool’ and ‘You hit great.’ It was good to show you the results.”
LG Twins infielder Koo Bon-hyuk celebrates after hitting his first career walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning at a home game against the KT Wiz at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 6th. Courtesy of the LG Twins
The more I thought about it, the happier I was. “This is the first time I have experienced this in my life. It was the happiest moment in my baseball career,” Koo said. “As I always come out in the second half of the seventh or eighth innings, I come back to bat at such an important time. Again, since I was in the dugout, the older brothers said, “I will come to your bat.” He said, “I will hit you when (the opportunity) comes.”
This is the result of hard work. Even though he failed to start, he consistently sweated. “I am working hard on batting training. I try to prepare more than my teammates because I can’t miss an opportunity,” Koo said. “I come to work early in the morning and have batting training with my backup players. Coaches Mo Chang-min and Choi Seung-jun teach me well. I am always grateful.”
Won’t it be a shame that he couldn’t play as a starting member? “I don’t have that mindset at all. My top priority is to make the team work well,” Koo said. “The coach plans the lineup. I can prepare from behind anytime.” “My first goal is for the team to win. If I participate in the competition, I will always do my best,” he said. “It seems that things are going well this year. I hope I get more opportunities.”
Koo joined the military baseball team in early May 2022 and was discharged from the military in early November last year. He watched LG win the combined title from a step back. “As the team was so strong, I thought to myself, ‘If I go back, would my seat be available?'” Koo recalled. “I trained a lot in the military to make room for myself.”
Worries are overshadowed. He is taking the opportunity himself.
LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop also looked satisfied. After winning the game over KT, Yeom said, “Kubon-hyuk presented a wonderful walk-off home run to the fans who came to the stadium for the weekend. I think he rewarded them with a great walk-off home run. Congratulations on your first walk-off grand slam.”
After the interview with Soo Hoon, Koo started taking commemorative photos. When asked to strike the pose he wanted, he raised two fingers. “It means two finishing touches,” Koo immediately shook his hand. “Just say ‘V’,” he felt embarrassed. The day will come when he opens his three fingers.