The Hanwha Eagles, currently leading the Korean professional baseball league, are renowned for their passionate fanbase. Their unwavering support during an endless dark period has been widely recognized. As Hanwha confirmed its first-half league title after 33 years, fan enthusiasm has been at an all-time high.
Lee Won-seok, a 26-year-old outfielder for Hanwha, had a special meeting with fans on the 9th, ahead of the KIA game in Daejeon. The meeting was arranged so that fans Kwon Soon-young and Han Hye-won could return the commemorative ball for his first grand slam home run.
On the 11th of last month, Lee Won-seok hit a grand slam home run against Choi Won-jun in the second inning of the Doosan game in Daejeon, sending the ball over the left field fence. He connected with a 137 km/h slider that came in low and inside, resulting in a 120-meter home run that led to a 9-1 victory for Hanwha. It was Lee's personal first grand slam and the inaugural grand slam at the newly opened Hanwha Life Eagles Park.
At that time, fans in the left field bleachers who caught the home run ball expressed their desire to gift it to Lee Won-seok through the club. Kwon Soon-young and Han Hye-won contacted the club the very next day and were coordinating their schedules for a meeting with Lee.
However, a variable arose. Lee Won-seok felt left hamstring pain in the 1st inning during the game against Lotte on the 19th of last month and was removed from the game. The next day, he was removed from the roster as a precaution. Fortunately, it was not a serious injury, and Lee returned to the first team after 11 days, and finally had the meeting ahead of the KIA game on the 9th.
Lee Won-seok did not come empty-handed. He personally prepared two tickets for that day's game, along with a signed jersey and a signed ball, as meaningful gifts for the fans who returned the commemorative ball. He also took a commemorative photo.
Lee Won-seok said, "It is a significant record both personally and for the team, so I am very grateful for you handing it over. I will continue to repay the support of the fans with better performances." Lee donated the home run ball he received back to the club, which plans to preserve it for future reference.
Lee Won-seok, who successfully bulked up by 14 kg over the winter by eating six meals a day, has recorded a batting average of .211 (20 hits in 95 at-bats), with 4 home runs, 14 RBIs, 34 runs, and 15 stolen bases in 71 games this season. He started the season as a pinch runner specialist and has recently been given starting opportunities as the first batter. He has been hitting strongly, with five consecutive games of hits from the game against NC on the 3rd to the KIA game on the 8th.
In the KIA game on the 9th, he went 0-for-4 but had a sharp line drive in the 3rd inning and a pop-up to left field in the 7th. In the 5th inning, he received cheers from fans for making a sliding catch on a line drive hit by Park Chan-ho, despite the narrow foul space in the outfield posing a risk of colliding with the fence. His impressive performance in all aspects has contributed to Hanwha's lead in the standings.
Meanwhile, Hanwha's Hanwha Life Eagles Park was completely filled with 17,000 seats as of 5:23 p.m. on that day. It marked the 38th sellout of the season, with the sellout rate reaching 90.5%, having filled 38 out of 42 home games. The KBO League's all-time record for the most sellouts in a season is 47, set by Hanwha last year at Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park (12,000 capacity). This year, the new ballpark has increased its capacity by 5,000 and is on track for another record.
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