KBO 40 Legends: Modern masters

Baseball

Published: 21 Sep. 2022, 08:20

KBO 40 Legends: Modern masters

Clockwise from top left: Kim Tae-kyun, Park Jae-hong, Hong Sung-heon and Park Kyung-oan. [KBO]

The KBO on Monday announced the final four members of the league’s “40 Legend” team, a round-up of the top 40 KBO players of all time that has been slowly compiled since the All-Star game in July.

Players were chosen for the 40-man squad from a list of 177 candidates, including all former Golden Glove and Korean Series MVP winners, as well as any pitchers who had recorded 800 appearances with 100 wins, 150 saves and at least one 20-win season and any batters who had appeared in 2,000 games, hit 200 home runs, 2,000 hits and had at least one 40-home run season.

All active players, including those playing overseas, were excluded.

Not all KBO legends are from the 1980s and '90s, with some of the top players in the league's history having only just hung up their mitts.

Kim Tae-kyun

Kim spent his entire career with the Eagles and only retired last year, making him one of the newest stars in the legends squad. He holds the KBO record for longest on-base run, at 86 games.

Kim Tae-kyun [KBO]

Park Jae-hong

Park was the ultimate Rookie of the Year, hitting 30 home runs and stealing 36 bases in a huge breakout year for the Hyundai Unicorns in 1996. He still holds the record for most home runs and RBIs by a rookie in the KBO.

Park Jae-hong [KBO]

Park Kyung-oan

Park, the only catcher ever to hit 40 home runs in a season in the KBO, once homered in four consecutive plate appearances. He was also a solid catcher with a shotgun arm that proved formidable at taking down base runners.

Park Kyung-oan [KBO]

Hong Sung-heon

Hong won the Golden Glove for catcher in 2001 and 2004, but it was the offensive aspect of the game that he really loved. Moved to DH later in his career, Bears man Hong won four straight Golden Gloves in that position.