"It was something that had to be done."
Lee Beom-ho, head coach of the KIA Tigers, conveyed his sincere apologies regarding the shocking headshot incident that happened the day before (14th) before their game against the NC Dinos at Changwon NC Park on the 15th, and expressed concern for NC's Choi Jeong-won's condition.
The situation unfolded during the bottom of the 7th inning. With two outs and runners on first and third base, Choi Ji-min took the mound to battle against Choi Jeong-won at the plate. However, during a 1-ball, 1-strike count, the third pitch, a 145 km fastball, headed towards Choi Jeong-won's head. He collapsed from the headshot and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. It was determined that Choi Jeong-won suffered a mild concussion, and he was not excluded from the first team roster that day.
The KIA team had won the previous day by a score of 9-8. After the game, Lee Beom-ho immediately approached NC's Lee Ho-jun to apologize. Lee Ho-jun said, "I was surprised. In the past, I would have called, but I never thought someone would come to see me. After the game, he came and said he was sorry, and I told him that it wasn't intentional; accidents can happen during a game," he explained. However, Lee Beom-ho emphasized that it was the right thing to do. He said, "I should have gone to see him. A player got hurt. Last year, when our player Nail got injured, someone from NC came and took care of it. I thought that if NC had experienced a similar injury, they should come and convey their apologies."
Lee Ho-jun was also concerned about Choi Ji-min's condition, to which Lee Beom-ho responded, "It seems he is worried that the player who hit him might develop trauma. I am even more grateful for that," adding, "I hope we can do well so that Choi Ji-min doesn’t feel that way, and I hope Choi Jeong-won has no significant issues."
Additionally, Choi Ji-min reiterated his apologies to Choi Jeong-won. After the game on the 14th, he expressed his regret through a direct phone call. Then, before the game on the 15th, he personally went to Choi Jeong-won to apologize. A KIA official noted, "Choi Jeong-won said it could happen. On the contrary, he was worried about Choi Ji-min."
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