"(Our) Gyu-min called me,"
It was an All-Star game where fans could see ‘pitcher Choi Jeong’ for the first time in 16 years. Choi Jeong of the SSG Landers started as the third baseman for the Dream All-Star in the 2025 KBO All-Star game held at Hanwha Life Park in Daejeon on the 12th. The reason for the attention on Choi Jeong that day was because he stepped onto the All-Star mound as a pitcher.
The situation occurred in the second inning. The Dream All-Star's starting pitcher Park Se-woong (Lotte) was followed by the second pitcher, Woo Gyu-min (KT), who allowed a double to lead-off batter Park Chan-ho, got Moon Hyun-bin out on a ground ball to the second baseman, but then was hit successively by a left-field RBI single from Lee Do-yoon and a timely hit from Song Seong-moon. Although he got Chae Eun-seong out on a pop-up to right field, he allowed another left-field RBI single to Park Dong-won. Woo Gyu-min's pitch count rose beyond expectations; he had thrown 30 pitches without finishing the second inning.
Then, Dream All-Star coach Lee Kang-cheol came to the mound and made a pitching change. No one came out from the bullpen, and third baseman Choi Jeong went directly to the mound. Woo Gyu-min moved to third base. It was a scene one would expect to see only in high school baseball. Choi Jeong then threw a fastball of up to 121 km/h against Lee Ju-hyung. His control was decent. He allowed a line drive hit from Lee Ju-hyung; however, he ended the inning thanks to a great defensive play by first baseman Diaz (Samsung). Choi Jeong's All-Star game experience included not only batting but also pitching for ⅓ inning.
After the All-Star game, Choi Jeong said, "It wasn't that the talk about pitching started from the beginning. Now (our) Gyu-min was getting hit continuously and struggling. I was in trouble and was just zoning out when Gyu-min suddenly gestured for me to come. I looked back, but there was no one. I was wondering what the situation was, and that's when I prepared myself mentally. So he asked me to pitch a bit, and Coach Lee Kang-cheol also said not to push it too hard."
Choi Jeong had pitched during the regular season as well. Sixteen years ago, in 2009, he pitched in the 12th inning during a game against the KIA Tigers at the Gwangju Mudeung Stadium.
Choi Jeong, who remembered that time, said, "In 2009, I had only been away from pitching for about four years. At that time, I really threw seriously to beat the batter. I had some confidence back then and really wanted to get the batter out," reflecting on the moment and adding, "Now, with my body condition, I wasn't in a state where I could throw hard, but I was worried about whether I could throw strikes. Fortunately, my control was good, and well-hit balls were caught, which was a relief."
He had been scheduled to participate in the home run derby but did not. Instead, he provided fans with an enjoyable spectacle by pitching. He said, "Control was important when I got on the mound. I didn't want to hit the batter while trying to throw hard, so I threw it lightly. However, I ended up throwing it too short. I thought if I had pitched for about an inning, it would be a satisfying performance, but I felt it ended too abruptly with two outs. I hope the fans enjoyed it, and I'm grateful if they did."
Additionally, during his first at-bat in the first inning, Choi Jeong was hit on the elbow by a fastball clocked at 154 km/h from the selection of the Sharing All-Star, Cody Ponce. Choi Jeong, who holds the unwanted record for most hit-by-pitches in history (356), was hit by a pitch again during the All-Star game. He said, "I was really surprised. It's the first time I've been hit in the All-Star game. I have been hit by a pitch once during a home run race in the past," smiling awkwardly as he added, "Who said it was a performance?"
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