Choi Hyung-woo, 41, is blessed. He seems to be taking all the luck of 2024.
Choi hit a two-run homer over the right-center field with two outs in the bottom of the third inning when his team was leading 1-0 at the match against Samsung held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on Wednesday. The change-up hit by Samsung starter Denny Reyes’ fourth pitch headed to the stands beyond the right-center fence.
Kia’s home run zone is installed in the right-center outfield at the Champions Field. KIA displays Kia’s latest model in the right-center outfield, which is the most difficult to hit a home run, and presents a car to a batter who hits a home run in the zone.
Since 2014, when Champions Field opened, a total of seven batters have passed the home run zone before Choi Hyung-woo, with a total of eight home runs. This is the first time that Choi Hyung-woo has passed a home run to the zone.
Starting with Kim Jae-hwan (Doosan) in 2014, Choi Hee-seop (KIA) in 2015 and Oh Jae-il (then Doosan) in 2017, the lucky star who had not appeared for three years came from KIA in 2020. At the time, when foreign batter Preston Tucker passed the ball to the home run zone and received a car, the event became famous as he was introduced as a “Lucky Man” on the official website of the Major League, saying, “Korea gives a car when it hits a home run.”
Since then, Kim Hyun-soo (LG) took it the same year, and Na Sung-bum took the luck twice, once in 2021 when he was in NC and once in 2022 after transferring to KIA. Following the 2023 Socrates Brito (KIA), Choi Hyung-woo continued his lucky lineage on the day.
Choi will receive Kia’s new EV3, which is currently on display in the Home Run Zone. From the moment he hit the home run to the moment he hit the ground, to the moment he entered the dugout and celebrated with his juniors, Choi showed a bright smile that he had never shown before.
“I thought you had no relationship with me,” Choi said. “I hit a lot of home runs for the past eight years (since joining Kia in 2017), but I thought it would end because I never got it right, but I’m really happy about it,” Choi said. “I promised that I would give it to my mother-in-law if I get on the car. If I get a car, I will make sure to give it to my mother-in-law and keep my promise.”
Choi Hyung-woo, who continues to be the No. 1 RBI player and is playing so hard that it is meaningless to mention his age, was named the MVP for his home run in the KBO All-Star Game held on the 6th. About 10 days after winning the 10 million won prize with the first All-Star MVP, this time with his 18th home run of the season, he held the latest electric car in his arms.
Even Na Sung-bum, who already passed the KIA home run zone twice and received two cars, looked envious at Choi. “I want to be honest. I heard that car is good, so I was watching him hit from the stand-by, and the moment I got hit (the ball) went straight to my side. I envy him. I want to get an electric car when there are luxury cars like that,” said Na Sung-bum, who led the team to the 10-5 victory. 먹튀검증