It wasn’t flashy. Rather, it was simple and subdued. But it was Park Gun-woo’s (33) respectful 90-degree greeting to NC coach Kang Myung-ho (51) that caught the attention of the 22,990 fans at Sajik Stadium.
The Nanum All-Stars (Kiwoom, LG, KIA, NC, Hanwha) defeated the Dream All-Stars 8-4 in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO All-Star Game at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Dongnae-gu, Busan on 15 May.
Socrates Brito (KIA) hit a leadoff triple and Chae Eun-sung (Hanwha) hit her second career All-Star Game grand slam to take an early lead. The Nanum All-Stars, who maintained their dominance until the end of the game, won their 17th game in a row (and 28th overall) as they avenged a 3-6 loss in 2007 in the first rematch in 16 years at Sajik Baseball Stadium.온라인카지노
Despite three days of rain in the Busan area this weekend, many baseball fans travelled from across the country to attend the game, which sold out 1 hour and 49 minutes before the start time. With the 22nd sellout in the history of the All-Star Game, Kang Myung-ho was the first base coach for the Nanum All-Stars. When Park Gun-woo stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the first inning, all eyes in Sajik Stadium turned to first base.
Recently, Park Gun-woo has been one of the most talked about players in the KBO due to the rare demotion of a starter to the second team. NC removed Park from the first-team roster on the third day of the season after an injury and poor performance. Speaking at the Gochuk Kiwoom game on the 4th, Kang In-hwa said, “A senior player needs not only skill, but also virtue. When I became a coach, I wanted my team to make sure that senior players don’t deviate from the One-Team, and in that sense, I was very disappointed in Park Gun-woo and felt that he needed time to think about it,” he said, revealing the reason for the expulsion, sparking a controversy over Park’s work ethic and attitude.
The All-Star Game was his first public appearance since then. At the pre-game fan signing, Park said, “I met with the coach earlier (at Samsung Electronics in Changwon on the 7th) and told him. There’s nothing else to say since I spoke with the coach,” he said, adding, “It’s a seat that the fans voted for, so I hope I can enjoy it here for today and then leave.”
Sharing All-Star Park Gun-woo takes a commemorative photo at the fan signing ceremony for the 2023 KBO All-Star Game at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, South Korea, on the 15th.
It was the first time the two had been together in front of fans, so the spotlight was on them. Following the fan signing, they smiled at each other during the introduction of players and coaches and a commemorative photo with the NC team, but they looked a bit stiff.
However, the stiffness melted away when Park Gun-woo hit Park Se-woong’s fastball in the second inning and reached first base. After reaching first base, Park gave a 90-degree fold to his first base coach, Kang Myung-ho, and entrusted him with his leg brace. The crowd erupted in cheers, and Kang returned the gesture with a smile. As he looked up, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Park Gun-woo hit another single up the middle against Koo Seung-min, and Kang welcomed his student’s multi-hit game with applause. Afterwards, Park left the field to be replaced by Austin Dean (LG), but the mood of the two priests was more subdued.
It’s unclear if the All-Star Game will encourage Kang to bring Gun-woo back to the first team. At the time of Park’s expulsion from the first team, Kang said, “It’s not up to me to decide (whether to call him up). The C-team (second team) coaches will talk about it after watching his performance and games, and it’s up to the players on our team to decide what they think.”
Ahead of the game against Changwon Lotte on the 11th, he said, “I’m also receiving reports on their attitude to training. It’s important to see what kind of mindset they have for the game and whether they are sticking to their practice. We are checking that part.”
However, as Park Gun-woo showed a reflective performance on the day following the interview on the 7th, the possibility of the two reuniting in the second half of the season seems to have increased.