Modern day stars added to KBO anniversary team

All News 11:42 August 22, 2022

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- Star players who made their marks in the late 1990s and 2000s have been added to the commemorative team marking the 40th anniversary of the South Korean professional baseball league.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has been unveiling four new members each Monday for its commemorative "40 Legends" team. The latest additions are former infielder Kim Tae-kyun, former outfielder Park Jae-hong, ex-catcher Park Kyung-oan and former catcher/designated hitter Hong Sung-heon.

Kim, 14th in the voting by a panel of experts and fans, spent his entire 18-year KBO career with the Hanwha Eagles, save for a two-year stint in Japan. A rare combination of power and contact abilities, Kim is sixth among batters with at least 3,000 plate appearances with a .320 batting average and tied for 12th with 311 home runs. He is also third in hits with 2,209 and fifth in RBIs with 1,358.

This image provided by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on Aug. 22, 2022, shows the latest members of the KBO's 40th anniversary team. Clockwise from top left: former Hanwha Eagles infielder Kim Tae-kyun, former Hyundai Unicorns outfielder Park Jae-hong, ex-Doosan Bears catcher Hong Sung-heon and ex-SK Wyverns catcher Park Kyung-oan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Kim is one of just five players with at least 300 home runs and a career .300 average. He was the home run king in 2008 and batting champion in 2012.

But Kim was best known for his on-base skills. He holds the league record with an 86-game on-base streak and reached base a record 310 times in 2016. He led the KBO in on-base percentage in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016. He is third in league history with a career .421 on-base percentage.

In this file photo from May 29, 2021, Kim Tae-kyun of the Hanwha Eagles prepares for the final game of his career in the Korea Baseball Organization against the SSG Landers at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, around 130 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)

Park Jae-hong, 17th in the voting, enjoyed one of the best rookie seasons in KBO history in 1996 with the Hyundai Unicorns. He opened the 30-30 club in the South Korean league that year, hitting a league-best 30 home runs and stealing 36 bases en route to grabbing the Rookie of the Year award. He also drove in a league-high 108 RBIs, and still holds the records for most homers and RBIs by a rookie in the KBO.

Park recorded two more 30-30 campaigns, in 1998 and 2000. There have been only eight 30-30 seasons in KBO history and Park had three of them.

Park retired after the 2012 season with 300 home runs, 267 steals and 1,081 RBIs. He is the only KBO player ever with at least 300 homers, 200 steals and 1,000 RBIs.

In this May 18, 2013, file photo provided by the SK Wyverns, former Wyverns outfielder Park Jae-hong waves to fans after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch during his retirement ceremony at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, around 30 kilometers west of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Park Kyung-oan, who checked in at 23rd in the voting, is considered one of the most complete catchers in league history. After debuting with the Ssangbangwool Raiders in 1991, Park enjoyed a memorable 2000 season with the Unicorns with a career-high 40 home runs. He also became the first KBO player to homer in four consecutive plate appearances that year.

Park remains the only catcher to reach the 40-homer mark in a season here, and he also leads all catchers with 314 career home runs. In 2001, Park became the first catcher with a 20-20 season, thanks to 24 homers and 21 steals.

Also famous as a great game caller and a stout defender behind the plate, Park gunned down 38.2 percent of would-be base stealers, the second-highest mark among all backstops with at least 500 career starts. He spent his final 11 seasons with the SK Wyverns.

In this file photo from April 5, 2014, former SK Wyverns catcher Park Kyung-oan waves to the crowd at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, around 30 kilometers west of Seoul, during his retirement ceremony. (Yonhap)

Hong, ranked 36th in the voting, started out in 1999 as an offensive-minded catcher for the Doosan Bears, and finished his career with the same franchise as a productive designated hitter and a clubhouse leader.

He was voted the 1999 Rookie of the Year thanks to 16 home runs and 63 RBIs in 111 games. He won Golden Gloves, awarded to the best players at each position, in 2001 and 2004 as catcher.

He then collected four straight Golden Gloves as DH from 2008 to 2011. The first right-handed batter to reach 2,000 career hits, Hong finished with 2,046 hits and 1,120 RBIs, 13th and 12th all time.