“Ryu Hyun-jin's ball is big.”

The Hanwha Eagles are enjoying a box office success every day. Starting from the match against Lotte on the 24th of last month (22,669 attendance), the team has recorded 16 consecutive sellouts from the games against KT in Daejeon from the 25th to 27th (17,000 attendance), LG in Daejeon on the 29th and 30th (17,000 attendance), KIA in Gwangju on the 2nd and 4th (20,500 attendance), Samsung in Daejeon from the 5th to 7th (17,000 attendance), Kiwoom in Gocheok from the 9th to 11th (16,000 attendance), and Doosan in Daejeon on the 13th and 14th.

A total of 16 consecutive sellouts for home and away games is the most in a single season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League. The previous record was 14 games, achieved once each by KIA last year (from Sep. 7 against Gwangju Kiwoom to Sep. 30 against Gwangju NC) and LG this year (from Apr. 25 against Gwangju KIA to May 11 against Daegu Samsung).

Over two seasons, KIA set a record for 16 consecutive sellouts from the match against Gwangju Kiwoom on Sep. 7 last year to the match against Gwangju NC on Mar. 23 this year. Hanwha has now tied that record with 16 consecutive sellouts, and they will attempt to break the all-time record of 17 sellouts on the 15th against Doosan in Daejeon.

Hanwha has filled 18 out of 21 home games this year and is continuing its streak of 14 consecutive sellouts at home since the game against Kiwoom on the 11th of last month. Hanwha also holds the all-time record for the most consecutive home sellouts at 17 games (12,000 attendance) from Oct. 16, 2023, against Lotte to May 1, 2022, against SSG, and they are looking to surpass that record again.

Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park has a capacity of 17,000 seats, which is less than expected, but amidst the 'new stadium effect,' fans are flocking to the weeknight games even in bad weather. Hanwha's remarkable performance, including a 12-game winning streak for the first time in 33 years since the days of Binggrae, has further ignited fan enthusiasm.

The Hanwha club is also aggressively marketing by releasing the ‘Dreamdor’ uniforms and various merchandise created in collaboration with the city of Daejeon. During the 12-game winning streak, manager Kim Kyung-moon gained attention by wearing hoodies in white and navy colors, and he noted, “Hanwha has a lot of clothes. I think there are more types of clothes than when I was managing before. That’s good for the fans,” while mentioning the name of top pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, 38.

Manager Kim Kyung-moon said, “In my view, Ryu Hyun-jin's arrival has significantly heightened fans’ expectations and interest. Ryu Hyun-jin's ball is big. He could have pitched more in Major League Baseball but came back early. As a result, fans' expectations grew. I have never seen so many reporters at spring training. It felt like the postseason. It’s great that baseball is so loved by fans.”

Ryu Hyun-jin returned to Hanwha last February with a long-term contract worth 17 billion won for eight years. Even though there were offers from Major League Baseball teams after his four-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays ended in 2023, he kept his promise to return to Hanwha before getting older, marking the end of an 11-year career in the U.S. Ryu, the top pitcher of his era who also ranked first in earned run average in Major League Baseball, made a splash with his return. Hanwha recorded the largest number of home spectators in club history with 804,204 (an average of 11,327 per 71 games), enjoying immense popularity.

This year, Hanwha has drawn an average of 35,4268 fans for home games, achieving the highest average attendance in the club's history (16,870). Although young players like Moon Dong-joo, Kim Seo-hyun, Noh Si-hwan, and Moon Hyun-bin have emerged as new stars for Hanwha, Ryu Hyun-jin remains the top-selling jersey in the team.

The performance remains firm. Last year, Ryu Hyun-jin recorded a full season as the only starting pitcher in the team with 10 wins and 8 losses in 28 games (158⅓ innings) with an earned run average of 3.87 and 135 strikeouts. This season, he is showing even better results with 4 wins and 1 loss in 9 games (52⅓ innings), an earned run average of 2.58, and 43 strikeouts. He ranks 8th in earned run average and 9th in innings. Unlike last year, which saw several large losses, this year has been significantly more stable. He has had the most four-run games twice but has not been pulled from a game before the 5th inning.

On the 13th against Doosan in Daejeon, Ryu Hyun-jin pitched six innings, allowing six hits, no walks, five strikeouts, and one earned run (unearned run). He recorded the season's first pitch speed of 150 km/h but lost the victory due to a lack of run support. Hanwha also lost the game 4-3 after an 11-inning battle, ending their 12-game winning streak. Manager Kim said, “You can't win every game,” but added, “(Ryu) Hyun-jin pitched really well, and it's a pity that he didn't get the win.”

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