[Lee Jong-gil's Film Reading] The Miracle of Autumn After Excitement Fades... Even the Lighting on Choi Dong-won Feels Bland

Documentary Film '1984 Choi Dong-won'

"I had the most wins with 27 victories, and I won 4 games in the Korean Series, but even if I were young now, I wonder, 'Could I have played those games again?' That’s the kind of year it was," reflects Choi Dong-won (1958?2011) in the introduction of the documentary film '1984 Choi Dong-won.' The year he referred to was 1984. The professional baseball league played fifty games per team in both the first and second halves of the season. Choi Dong-won was the ace of Lotte. He pitched in twenty-one games during the first half, mostly as a starter but sometimes brought in during critical situations. His record was 9 wins, 7 losses, and 1 save. Lotte finished in fourth place. Before the second half, they brought in Doi Shosuke as the head coach to reorganize the team. Manager Kang Byung-chul announced Choi Dong-won’s all-around deployment. "Starting Dong-won is a gamble. If he collapses, we’re helpless. But if we let another pitcher start, Dong-won will be there to hold the line and put out the fire."

Choi Dong-won appeared in an astonishing thirty games in the second half, pitching roughly once every 2.6 days, recording 18 wins, 6 losses, and 5 saves. Lotte rose to the top and faced the first-half champions Samsung in the Korean Series. '1984 Choi Dong-won' looks back on those seven games to commemorate Choi Dong-won. It includes tributes from teammates like Kim Si-jin, Kim Yong-chul, Kim Yong-hee, Kim Il-yong, and Lee Man-soo, celebrating his immortal achievements. Director Jo Eun-sung delivers what is arguably the most dramatic Korean Series in professional baseball history in a rather calm manner. The film mainly adds recollections from people around the games to past footage, making it difficult to expect additional excitement or emotional impact.

The 1984 Korean Series was incredibly dynamic and fierce, beyond what can be imagined today. Lotte advanced to the Korean Series easily due to Samsung’s 'throwing games.' Manager Kang instructed the coaches and players to prepare Choi Dong-won for games 1, 3, 5, and 7. "Isn’t this too much?" "Dong-won, what can we do? We’ve come this far." "Alright then. Let’s give it a try."

Choi Dong-won pitched a complete-game shutout (4-0) in Game 1, the first ever in Korean Series history. Lotte lost Game 2 (2-8) without him. In Game 3, he struck out twelve batters and earned a complete-game victory (3-2). However, he had to watch a 0-7 shutout loss in Game 4. In Game 5, he took the loss after giving up a solo home run to Jung Hyun-bal in the 7th inning with the score tied 2-2. Lotte seemed to falter but reignited their hopes in Game 6 by scoring three runs against opposing ace Kim Si-jin. Choi Dong-won was brought in and shut out the remaining five innings, leading the team to victory.

In the fateful final Game 7, Choi Dong-won gave up three runs in the 2nd inning and a solo home run to Oh Dae-seok in the 6th, making defeat seem inevitable. But in the 8th inning, Yoo Doo-yeol’s hit traced a magnificent arc, securing Choi’s fourth Korean Series win and the championship glory. Lotte would reach the top once more in 1992, but it was not as moving as the 1984 victory. The feat achieved by Choi Dong-won was a miracle shared not only by Lotte fans but by all sports fans.

Recent sports documentaries showcase such games with flashy editing and special effects, injecting tension and excitement comparable to the original, making viewers sweat even knowing the outcome. They also boldly explore the deeper aspects of the games with a cool perspective. Examples include 'Untold Stories: From Competition to War' and 'Michael Jordan: The Last Dance.'

'1984 Choi Dong-won' focuses solely on the person but even this is not portrayed in a three-dimensional way. Choi Dong-won lived a life full of ups and downs. No-hit no-run in the National Excellent High School Invitational Tournament, a Major League contract, MVP of the Intercontinental Cup, early retirement... He was also a founding figure of the Players’ Association. He met with key players from each team to advocate for minimum living expenses, condolence money, pensions, and more. The strong opposition from teams led to the failure of the association’s formation. He was traded with Kim Si-jin and had to leave Lotte. After retirement, no team called him, and he struggled as a coach. His determination and willingness to endure any sacrifice should be highlighted as the driving force behind the miracles of both past and present.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.