Discussions
No. 468 hitter – KBO’s most home run hitter’
Choi Jung-jeong (37-SSG Landers), who became the KBO League's all-time leading home run hitter with his 468th home run, talked about reaching the milestone.
SSG defeated the Lotte Giants 12-7 in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Sajik Stadium in Busan on Thursday afternoon.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for SSG, which moved into third place with Samsung Lions with a 15-1-1 record. Lotte, on the other hand, saw its three-game winning streak come to an end and remained in last place with 7-1-1-17.
Choi Jung was the star of the game. Choi, who started at third base and batted third, took a two-pitch curveball from Lee In-bok with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning for a solo home run to left field. With his 468th home run, Choi surpassed Lee Seung-yeop's 467 to become the KBO's all-time record holder for most home runs by an individual. It was also his 19th consecutive season with double-digit home runs.
Choi said after the game, “It feels good to get it (the 468th home run) so soon. I'm grateful to all the hitting coaches who have been coaching me since I was young, and to everyone who has been paying attention to my home run record and supporting me,” Choi said after hitting No. 468.
“The fence at Sajik Stadium is high, and I was running fast because I thought it might bounce off the fence. As soon as I crossed the plate, I ran around the bases with embarrassment because it was a home run in an away stadium, not a home stadium. I also wished I could have celebrated in front of the home fans,” he said candidly.
“For various reasons, I couldn't concentrate well when I was at bat, and I kept playing baseball in a strange situation, but I'm glad it's over today (24th),” Choi said.
Of his 468 home runs, Choi has one that he remembers the most. “I remember hitting a mid-month home run against Kang Yoon-koo of the Nexen Heroes in 2012. I kept trying to keep that feeling alive and that home run is memorable.” ”The only home run I hit as a rookie is also clear in my mind. I hit it into the home run zone and won 1 million won, and I realized I was in the pros.”
Choi concluded with his goals for the rest of his career, saying, “I don't think I can hit 600 home runs, but I'm greedy for 500 home runs. I think I can do it. “I've hit double-digit home runs for 19 years in a row, and that's the only record I don't want to break. My goal is to keep breaking my record (double-digit home runs) until I retire,” he said of his desire for a new record.