“The power of fans, leading to victory”…Heo Kyung-min thanks the ‘strongest 10 batters’, why?
Doosan Bears veteran infielder Heo Kyung-min hasn’t forgotten the “strongest 10 hitters” (as Doosan fans affectionately call them) who support the team.
Doosan won the second game of the regular season against the NC Dinos of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League 6-3 on April 24 at Changwon NC Park. After taking an early lead with a cannon in the middle innings, Doosan used the home run cannon in the final inning to secure the win.
The Doosan batting lineup featured veteran Heo Kyung-min, as well as Jung Soo-bin and Yang Yang-ji. Jung Soo-bin led off the top of the first inning and took the first pitch of the 2024 season from Shin Min-hyuk. The ball went over the right field wall for a 1-0 lead. In the top of the fourth inning, Heo Kyung-min came to the plate. With two outs, he again took advantage of Shin’s pitch and smashed a two-run home run over the left field wall for a 3-0 lead. In the top of the seventh inning, Henry Ramos doubled with runners on first and third to make it 5-0.
The inning was not without its ups and downs. In the bottom of the eighth, Kang Seung-ho made a throwing error and gave up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Choi Jung-won to cut the deficit to 5-3. It looked like it was going to be a shaky start to the game, but Yang Ji-hyun’s solo shot two batters later in the top of the ninth inning sealed the 6-3 victory. It was a day of veteran performances. Heo Kyung-min had a multi-hit game, including a home run, along with his best friend Jeong Soo-bin, who also had a multi-hit game.
He led the offense with two hits (one home run), two RBIs, and one run scored on the day and thanked the fans after the game. Prior to the Doosan offense in the top of the eighth inning, it was raining heavily at Changwon NC Park. The game was suspended for 31 minutes, from 4:18 p.m. to 4:39 p.m. Despite the cold weather and the rain that didn’t seem to stop, Doosan fans didn’t leave their seats. After the game resumed, they applauded and cheered for the team as they came out onto the field.
Heo Kyung-min, a veteran who knows how important fans are, said, “Yesterday (23rd) and today (24th), so many fans came to Changwon. It rained a lot today and the game was suspended, so it must have been difficult to cheer, but they cheered until the end, and I think that strength led to today’s victory. I’m always grateful to them,” he said, giving credit for the victory to the fans.
“Yesterday was a close loss, so we wanted to win today no matter what. As seniors, we focused on not letting the team’s mood sag. I think we did a little bit to 스포츠토토 get our first win of the season, so we can go into next week feeling good,” he said after the victory.
A graduate of Gwangju First High School, Heo was drafted by Doosan with the seventh overall pick in the second round of the 2009 KBO League Rookie Draft. He is a veteran who will celebrate his 15th year as a professional this year, but he is still eager to help the team.
“All players are the same,” Heo said. I’m just thinking about improving a little bit, becoming a good player, and helping the team win. I’m not the type to hit a lot of home runs, but I worked a lot on my hitting over the winter. I feel like my first home run came early and it’s a good step in the right direction. I want to be a contributing player in both offense and defense,” he said, expressing his determination to play this season.
Doosan, meanwhile, has split its opening two series with NC with the fans cheering them on. The team will travel to Suwon to play a three-game series against KT Wiz on April 26-28. Veteran Heo Kyung-min will also be in the hot corner for the team’s victory.