600 mounds, Won Jong-hyun’s unstoppable baseball narrative > News

Won Jong-hyun's 600 career appearances is a rare milestone in the history of Korean professional baseball. This record, a symbol of consistency, clearly proves how thoroughly he has managed himself over the past time. In particular, as a pitcher, it is amazing to be able to throw the ball as far as 150 km while maintaining the highest velocity in the league while wearing out the consumables such as elbows and shoulders. He is not simply a player who has endured for a long time, but is evaluated as a player who has evolved by directly coping with the changes of the times and his own physical changes. This 600th game commemoration ceremony was a small reward for the dedication he showed to the club and fans, as well as an official tribute to the arduous journey he has walked.

The key words that run through Won Jong-hyun’s baseball life are ‘undaunted will’ and ‘earnestness.’ In the past, he faced a crisis where he had to leave the mound due to unexpected great trials, but he caught the ball again with his unique indomitable spirit. Even when many people doubted his return, he focused only on one game and one batter and quietly performed his own routine. He said in an interview, "I participated in every game with an earnest heart," and these short words clearly convey the pain of the countless nights of patience and training he must have experienced. When we see him coming down the mound while throwing a scoreless pitch, we can see the weight of a veteran and his pure passion for baseball.

From Kiwoom Heroes’ perspective, Won Jong-hyun’s presence means more than just a bullpen resource. The responsible attitude he has shown since signing the free agent contract has become a living textbook for the team's young pitchers. His ability to take on important responsibilities as a closing pitcher and protect the victory served as a driving force for the team to overcome the crisis. In particular, the stable control and sharp pitch he showed in recent games proved that he is still a competitive pitcher in the league. Despite his age, he does not rest on his laurels and constantly checks his pitching form, and his detailed pitching, which involves hitting the ball on a low course, clearly shows how he approaches baseball. The reason why the club has high expectations for him and entrusts him with the mound at important moments is also because of his unwavering sincerity.

His ambition to look beyond 600 games to 700 or 800 games is not just greed, but a declaration that heralds a series of challenges. In modern baseball, the lifespan of a bullpen pitcher is considered very short, but Won Jong-hyun is shattering that common belief and blazing his own path. Every time he adds one record to another, the record map of Korean professional baseball is being redrawn, and this serves as a great example for his juniors as well. Technical development is important, but we are demonstrating firsthand how important attitude and mindset toward baseball are. Now he has gone beyond being a pitcher chasing records, and has become a player who proves the sublime value of the sport of baseball itself through his pitching.