KBO legends Park Yong-taik, Jeong Keun-woo to face off in MLB Home Run Derby X final

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KBO legends Park Yong-taik, Jeong Keun-woo to face off in MLB Home Run Derby X final

Published: 17 Sep. 2022, 16:03 Updated: 17 Sep. 2022, 16:45

Park Yong-taik waves to the crowd during the FTX MLB Home Run Derby X at Paradise City hotel in Incheon on Saturday. [YONHAP]

KBO legends Park Yong-taik and Jeong Keun-woo are set to face off in the final of the 2022 FTX MLB Home Run Derby X Seoul on Saturday evening after the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers won their preliminary rounds at Paradise City hotel in Incheon.

Park, the KBO’s all-time hits leader, is representing the Red Sox at the Home Run Derby X, a new exhibition event that takes baseball outside of the baseball stadium with a home run derby, live music performances and plenty of food and drinks for a festival atmosphere.

Each team has four players: The legend, the superstar, the wildcard and the local hero. Park fills the local hero spot for the Red Sox, with former Red Sox star Jonny Gomes in the legend spot, softball player Jocelyn Alo as the superstar and world champion football freestyler Liv Cooke as the wildcard.

Jeong Keun-woo celebrates after hitting the winning home run during the preliminary round of the FTX MLB Home Run Derby X at Paradise City hotel in Incheon on Saturday. [YONHAP]

The local hero spot for the Dodgers is filled by Jeong, who played most of his career with the SK Wyverns, now the SSG Landers, and the Hanwha Eagles, before joining the LG Twins for the last season of his career.

The Dodgers’ legend is Adrián González, with softball slugger Ashton Lansdell taking the superstar spot and Korean short track speed skating Olympian Kwan Yoon-gy in the wildcard spot.

Kim Tae-kyun swings for the fences during the FTX MLB Home Run Derby X at Paradise City hotel in Incheon on Saturday. [YONHAP]

Kwak Yoon-gy swings during the FTX MLB Home Run Derby X at Paradise City hotel in Incheon on Saturday. [NEWS1]

The Red Sox reached the final after beating the New York Yankees in their preliminary round. The Yankees are represented by former Yankees slugger Nick Swisher, Italian softball star and Olympian Erika Piancastelli, Mexican gymnast Daniel Corral and Hanwha Eagles legend Kim Tae-kyun, one of the most productive batters in KBO history.

The Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs in their preliminary round, toppling 2008 Rookie of the Year Geo Soto, U.S. softball star Alex Hugo, Esports-star-turned-footballer Spencer Owen and the Lion King himself Lee Seung-yuop.

Lee Seung-yuop waits for a pitch during the FTX MLB Home Run Derby X at Paradise City hotel in Incheon on Saturday. [YONHAP]

Samsung Lions legend Lee was the youngest professional player anywhere in the world to pass 300 career home runs, achieving the feat at just 26, and went on to be named KBO MVP five times. Lee still holds the KBO records for home runs, runs scored, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage and OPS.

The final of the 2022 FTX MLB Home Run Derby X will begin at Paradise City Hotel at 5 p.m.

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