"When will your dad come out again?" A word stuck in Ko Hyo-joon's heart..."Thanks to my family, I survived"

"When will your dad come out again?" A word stuck in Ko Hyo-joon's heart..."Thanks to my family, I survived"

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Veteran left-hander Ko Hyo-joon (42) is continuing his career with the Doosan Bears this year. He had a hard time after being released, but he didn't give up and got back on his feet. It was possible thanks to the support and love of his family.메이저사이트

Ko was drafted by the Lotte Giants in 2002 as the sixth pick in the second round of the first round. Afterwards, he played for the SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers), KIA Tigers, Lotte, LG Twins, and SSG. He suffered his fourth release since the end of the 2024 season.

After failing to find his team even after the opening of this season, he headed to Icheon Bears Park, Doosan's second-tier Futures team. He underwent a six-day trial and demonstrated his robustness by posting a maximum speed of 147 km/h. Finally, on April 17, Doosan officially announced the recruitment of Ko. It strengthened its left-handed bullpen pitcher lineup.

Koh Hyo-joon, who was only allowed to sign up as a foster player, was immediately called up on May 1, when he was allowed to officially register as a pro baseball player in the first team. He played in the match against the KT Wiz at Jamsil Stadium on Tuesday, and made his comeback to the mound. He allowed one walk and one strikeout in ⅔ innings, securing hold. At the age of 42 years, two months and 23 days, he became the oldest player to take the mound, hold, and strikeout record in the history of the Bears. After the pitch, Ko Hyo-joon roared hot and impressed many.

Ko Hyo-joon, who met in Daegu ahead of the away game against the Samsung Lions, nodded, saying, "I survived because of my family."

Ko Hyo-joon said, "I thought about many things. Sometimes, I was tired of working out alone and constantly preparing. There were times when I was mentally unstable," adding, "But I thought of my family. As I am a husband and a father, I made a lot of commitments to overcome it. That's why I worked out silently."

My family was also at the stadium when I returned to the game on May 1. I watched Go Hyo-joon pitch well in person. "Everyone liked it a lot. My 6-year-old daughter really liked it," Go said. "When I was a member of another team in the past, I often came to the ballpark, but after that, I went down to the second division, so I couldn't come to the ballpark well."

"I was watching a baseball game on TV when the season opened. My daughter asked me, 'When will Dad be out there?' That stuck in my heart," Go said. "My daughter loves coming to the ballpark. That's when I heard that, and I came to my senses again."

As for the return match, he said, "I was very nervous. It was a gift day for me. "It was really meaningful," he said. "I thought it was okay, but I don't think I was a viewer. Catcher (Kim) Ki-yeon came to the mound and said that she looked short of breath. When I saw the video later, I could see that she was really nervous."

The roar came naturally. "I think the lump in my chest has been relieved. That's why I made such a gesture," Koh said.

"I want to play my role as a veteran player. I want to check the overall psychological condition of the players, despite some technical difficulties," Koh said. "I'm still trying to establish a good point. There are a lot of young players, but they are all so nice. At a baseball stadium, you need to be a fighter. I try to tell them to be bad guys on the ground."

Ko Hyo-joon said, "I can see all the players trying to change. As an older brother, not a senior, I want to approach the players and help them."