Two Korean batters came out in a row in a major league game. A rare sight. Pittsburgh Pirates’ Korean infielders Bae Ji-hwan (24) and Ji-man Choi (32) became the first Korean hitters to jointly set records for simultaneous appearances and consecutive at-bats in the major leagues.
Bae Ji-hwan and Choi Ji-man both participated in an away game against the 2023 Major League Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA on the 2nd (hereinafter Korean time).
Bae Ji-hwan made his name in the starting lineup as the 8th hitter, center fielder, and Choi Ji-man came out as a pinch hitter in the 9th inning, writing history in which two Korean batters entered the plate one after another. It was the first time that two Korean batters appeared in the same game, and it was the first time that they appeared at bat in succession.
In the ninth inning, with no one out and no runners, Bae Ji-hwan struck out on a swing against Alexis Diaz on a low 95.6 mile (153.9 km) four-seam fastball on the fourth pitch, ending the game with no hits in four at-bats.
Right after that, Choi Ji-man appeared as the next hitter. Choi Ji-man, who came in as a pinch hitter for catcher Austin Hedges, hit Diaz’s low 94.3 mile (151.8 km) four-seam fastball on the second pitch, but the right fielder line drive was out. On this day, the highest batting speed was measured at 107.4 miles (172.8 km) throughout the game, and the hit rate was 67%, but it was regrettable that he went straight to the fielder.
So far, there have been a total of seven simultaneous major league matches between two Korean players. In 2005, New York Mets Seo Jae-eung and Koo Dae-seong played 3 games, and in 2007, Tampa Bay Devil Rays Seo Jae-eung and Ryu Je-guk played 4 games, all pitchers.
On April 24, 2005, against the Washington Nationals, after Seo Jae-eung of the Mets started, Koo Dae-seong made the mound as the second pitcher in a row, which was the first simultaneous appearance. Seo Jae-eung won with 1 run in 6 innings, but Koo Dae-seong struggled with 3 runs in 1 inning. Then, on April 30, Dae-seong Koo (2 innings, 2 runs) took the mound as the 3rd pitcher after starting Seo Jae-eung (5 innings, 3 runs lost) against Washington. In the match against the Chicago Cubs on August 7, starting pitcher Seo Jae-eung (7⅓ innings scoreless) followed by Koo Dae-seong (⅓ innings scoreless) exchanged mounds, leading the team to victory and hold, respectively.
In 2007, Seo Jae-eung paired up with Ryu Je-guk at Tampa Bay and started 4 games at the same time. On April 11 of that year, against the Texas Rangers, against the Los Angeles Angels on April 27, and against the Baltimore Orioles on May 9, Seo Jae-eung started and Ryu Je-guk pitched as relief. In the final game against the Detroit Tigers on May 30, Ryu Je-guk and Seo Jae-eung were the 4th and 5th pitchers. It was Seo Jae-eung’s last appearance in the major leagues, when he allowed 2 runs in 2 innings.
16 years have passed since then, and Bae Ji-hwan and Choi Ji-man played simultaneously in the same team as Korean players.안전놀이터 It’s the first time for a beast. Both players were out in the first game, but the season has a lot left to do. Various records such as hits, RBIs, and home runs that the two players will collaborate in the future will all be Korea’s first.