adminThe heavens were kind to a feast of top prospects from 10 clubs who will lead the future of the KBO. The Futures All-Star Game ended with a bang, as the grumpy rain that swept across the country temporarily retreated from Busan.
The 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Futures All-Star Game, held at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on Thursday, saw the Northern All-Stars, comprised of NC, Samsung, Lotte, KT, KIA, and Sangmu, defeat the Southern All-Stars, comprised of Hanwha, LG, Kiwoom, SSG, and Dusan, 9-7.
The game was an exciting one. The Northern All-Stars scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning, but the Southern All-Stars answered back in the top of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead.먹튀검증
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Northern All-Stars made it 7-3 with a three-run home run by LG’s Kim Bum-seok, but the Southern All-Stars answered with a home run of their own. In the top of the seventh, Commerce’s Koo Bon-hyuk hit a two-run homer to tie the game at 7-7.
However, the Northern All-Stars came out firing in the bottom of the seventh. Kim Gun-i’s game-winning RBI single and Kim Bum-seok’s wedge single gave them a 9-7 lead, and they held the defense scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the win.
Kim Bum-seok, who went 4-for-4 with a home run, was named the MVP of the Futures All-Star Game in his first year as a professional. Koo Bon-hyuk was honored as the Pitcher of the Game, SSG’s Seo Sang-jun as the Outstanding Pitcher, and KT Wiz’s Kim Byung-jun as the Outstanding Hitter.
The Futures All-Star Game was not guaranteed to be played until 4 p.m., more than two hours before the scheduled start time. It had been raining heavily in the Busan area since the previous day, worsening the ground conditions, and the rain was not letting up anytime soon.
Players with ties to Busan had it even harder. With family and friends invited to the stadium, if the Futures All-Star Game was canceled due to rain, the game would be pushed back to the morning of the 15th, making it difficult to manage their physical condition.
Busan native Kim Bum-seok said, “I really want to play, and I hope the rain stops soon so that it won’t be canceled.” “I have a big family, so my parents, siblings, and friends are coming to the stadium. I hope it doesn’t rain,” he emphasized.
Doosan catcher Yoon Jun-ho, also from Busan, said, “I invited my family today. I don’t have many opportunities to show them how I play, and since the Futures All-Star Game is being held in Busan, I really want to show them how I play on the field.”
Rookie Kim Jung-min, who graduated from Gyeongnam High School and joined SSG this year, also emphasized, “I’ve always lived in Busan, so it’s a new feeling to visit Sajik Baseball Stadium as a professional player.” “My parents are coming, but the rain has stopped, so I want to play a game,” he said.
Koo Bon-hyuk, who will be transferred to the Commerce in November, also said, “I prepared really hard for this Futures All-Star Game. I want to show the fans a different side of me,” he said.
As if reading the players’ minds, the sky cleared the rain clouds at 4:30 pm. The grounds were quickly cleared and the playball was called for 6:15 p.m., 15 minutes late.
Fan interest in the Futures All-Star Game was high. Despite the inclement weather, 13,32 fans came out to Sajik Ballpark to enjoy a Friday night of cheering on the future stars of baseball.