LG Twins bid farewell to the KBO's most prolific hitter

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LG Twins bid farewell to the KBO's most prolific hitter

Park Yong-taik waves to fans at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Sunday. [NEWS1]

Park Yong-taik waves to fans at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Sunday. [NEWS1]

 
More than 600 days after he last appeared on the field, the LG Twins on Sunday finally bid farewell to the most prolific hitter in Korean baseball history, Park Yong-taik.
 
Park played 19 seasons with the Twins, debuting in 2002 and making his final appearance for the club on Oct. 28, 2020. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Twins were unable to properly mark Park's departure, so the veteran hitter returned for one more appearance on Sunday to give the fans and the club a chance to saw goodbye.
 
Park is the most prolific batter the KBO has ever produced. Throughout his long and storied career he appeared in 2,237 games, taking 8,139 at-bats and recording 2,504 hits. He leads the KBO all-time ranking in all three of those categories, as well as plate appearances, at 9,138. He also ranks in the all-time top 10 for doubles, in fourth place, total bases, in third place and RBIs, in ninth place, while also sitting in 12th for stolen bases.
 
Park Yong-taik stands on a podium during a ceremony to mark his retirement at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Sunday. [NEWS1]

Park Yong-taik stands on a podium during a ceremony to mark his retirement at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Sunday. [NEWS1]

 
The Twins marked Park's retirement by retiring his No. 33, only the third number the team has ever retired.
 
Park was officially on the roster for Sunday's game, appearing as the third batter in the lineup. He didn't actually take part in the game, but his inclusion in the lineup allowed his name to appear on the scoreboard for the first time in 621 days. 
 
Park threw the opening pitch and then moved into the outfield to take his spot in left field. The moment the umpire signaled the start of the game, Twins manager Ryu Ji-hyun took Park off and replaced him Kim Hyun-soo.
 
LG Twins players, all in No. 33 jerseys bearing Park Yong-taik's name or one of his nicknames, stand for the national anthem at the start of a game against the Lotte Giants at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Sunday. [YONHAP]

LG Twins players, all in No. 33 jerseys bearing Park Yong-taik's name or one of his nicknames, stand for the national anthem at the start of a game against the Lotte Giants at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Sunday. [YONHAP]

 
The LG squad all played the entire game in Park's No. 33 jerseys, the last time No. 33 will ever appear on a Twins jersey in a game. Rather than their own names, every player also wore either a "Park Yong-taik" jersey, or one emblazoned with one of the many nicknames he was given throughout his long career. Park apparently compiled the list of nicknames himself, allowing his teammates to choose which one they wanted on their back.
 
Park met with fans ahead of the game and a ceremony was held after the game to officially mark his retirement.
 
Park Yong-taik is thrown in the air during a ceremony to mark his retirement at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Sunday. [NEWS1]

Park Yong-taik is thrown in the air during a ceremony to mark his retirement at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Sunday. [NEWS1]

 
But while Park may now be heading back to continue his career as a KBS commentators, there was still a little Park Yong-taik magic working for the Twins one last time on Sunday — the Seoul club scored three runs at the bottom of the seventh to break a tie and take a 4-1 win over the Lotte Giants.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]
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