Tears of the 'Foolish LG' Who Waited 29 Years for That Day

Achieving Korea Series V3 Since 1994 Championship
Lee Sang-hoon, Lee Dong-hyun, Park Yong-taek and the 'Babo LG'
Deceased LG Fans Including Dalma Ajeossi Also Interested

On the 13th, at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, the 5th game of the 2023 KBO Korean Series between kt wiz and LG Twins took place. After winning against kt, LG players are bowing toward the stands to celebrate securing the Korean Series championship.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Editor's NoteLG Twins won the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League Korean Series on the 13th. It was their first championship in 29 years since 1994. LG Twins achieved their third championship title. This is the first time they secured the championship at their home stadium, Jamsil Stadium. The MVP was LG Twins captain Oh Ji-hwan, who hit three home runs. The 29 years it took for LG Twins to win again is a history of sweat and tears. We look back on why those called ‘fools’ chose such a life and the journey to winning the Korean Series.

“I can’t pitch against LG.”

In 2004, the retirement of left-handed pitcher Lee Sang-hoon of the SK Wyverns shocked the baseball world. After being traded from LG Twins, he ended his active career with an unexpected message that no one anticipated.

Lee Sang-hoon’s jersey number 47 still moves LG fans deeply. In the 40-year history of Korean professional baseball, no one has retired like this. Lee Sang-hoon is a ‘fool’ who gave up a 600 million won salary and stepped down on his own.

His decision was shocking because he was a player who had reached the top in skill. During his time with LG, he was a left-handed ace pitcher who won the wins title with 18 wins in 1994 and 20 wins in 1995. He also won the saves title with 37 saves in 1997 and 30 saves in 2003. Lee Sang-hoon played only seven seasons with LG. However, among all LG players in history, fans recall the three syllables ‘Lee Sang-hoon’ as a spiritual pillar.

Lee Sang-hoon, former LG Twins player
Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Number 47 Lee Sang-hoon, an object of reverence... Number 18 Lee Dong-hyun, a symbol of fighting spirit

For LG players, jersey number 47 is an object of reverence. It holds even more special meaning for pitchers.

Many pitchers took Lee Sang-hoon as a role model. A representative figure is Lee Dong-hyun, a pitcher from LG Twins nicknamed ‘Rocket.’ Standing over 190 cm tall with broad shoulders and a fierce appearance, Lee Dong-hyun was intimidating to opposing batters. His fastball, thrown from his tall stature, was outstanding.

Lee Dong-hyun went straight from high school to the pros and took on tough roles as a starter, middle reliever, and closer without hesitation. Then he lost the ligament in his elbow, essential for a pitcher’s career. Fans watched sadly as he underwent surgery three times due to injury.

Perhaps the fans’ wishes to see him back on the mound were answered miraculously, as he returned. However, having lost his signature fastball, he had no choice but to become a finesse pitcher. Fans know why Lee Dong-hyun was injured and why he had to transform into a finesse pitcher.

Lee Dong-hyun, former LG Twins player

Though he might have resented the team, Lee Dong-hyun’s reaction was quite the opposite.

“I will dedicate my last remaining ligament to LG.”

Lee Dong-hyun, the ‘fool’ who only looked to LG Twins, is a painful memory for LG fans. His retirement ceremony on September 29, 2019, moved the hearts of fans. On the mound, he bowed deeply to his father and said:

“My parents lived a hard life. My father still works. One day, he went to a house for work and found my uniform there. But he couldn’t say, ‘My son is Lee Dong-hyun.’ That made me feel very sorry.”

Though Lee Dong-hyun blamed himself for not becoming a better player, to fans he is an icon symbolizing LG’s fighting spirit, greater than any superstar.

Former LG Twins player Park Yong-taek
Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Park Yong-taek, the heart of LG who is sincere about baseball

Unlike senior Lee Sang-hoon, Lee Dong-hyun retired without experiencing a championship. He was not the only tragic figure. All LG players who joined after 1994 had never experienced a championship. A representative figure is Park Yong-taek, the greatest star among LG alumni with the largest fan base.

Known as the heart of LG, LG was synonymous with Park Yong-taek. He joined in 2002 and continued blazing records until his final active season in 2020, but never had a championship ring. He was the all-time hit leader in Korean professional baseball and called an LG legend, yet he never experienced a Korean Series championship.

When Park Yong-taek became a free agent, there was a team willing to pay about 2 billion won more than LG Twins’ offer, but he did not leave LG.

The reason Park Yong-taek stayed active past forty and remained loyal was that he dreamed of LG’s championship more than anyone. He knew better than anyone how many fans came to Jamsil Stadium shouting ‘Park Yong-taek hit’ and longed for the championship.

‘Fool’ Park Yong-taek proved that money is not everything in the professional world. He was a player sincere about baseball. LG fans imagined ‘Crying Yong-taek,’ who would shed tears after winning the championship with his strength, but that dream did not come true.

Park Yong-taek was a powerful hitter who maintained a .300 batting average until his last active season, but he left the grand achievement of winning to his juniors and ended his brilliant career.

On the 13th, at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, the 5th game of the 2023 KBO Korean Series between kt wiz and LG Twins took place. After LG secured the Korean Series championship with a 6-2 victory, LG's Oh Ji-hwan, who was selected as the Korean Series Most Valuable Player, is posing for a commemorative photo. [Image source=Yonhap News]

LG captain Oh Ji-hwan, who became the best player

The next symbol of LG, as counted by Park Yong-taek, is the 2023 season captain Oh Ji-hwan. Oh Ji-hwan is an aching memory for LG fans in a different sense. From his rookie days, he received all kinds of spotlight. His nickname is ‘Oh Ji-bae,’ meaning he dominates the game, but it carries pain.

Oh Ji-hwan is a player with a strong arm and excellent athletic ability. He plays shortstop, one of the most important defensive positions in baseball. His defensive range is wider than players from other teams, but he was often criticized for lacking stability.

He made many errors at crucial moments, becoming the unfortunate subject of the nickname ‘Oh Ji-bae.’ Every time he made an error, criticism poured down on him. Joining LG right after high school and becoming the starting shortstop in his early twenties, he experienced the most emotional hardships among LG players.

However, fans know that his wide defensive range made his errors more noticeable. Other defenders relied heavily on Oh Ji-hwan, and that burden led to error plays. Like Park Yong-taek, Oh Ji-hwan, who is sincere about baseball, grew into the league’s strongest defensive shortstop and a national team shortstop through numerous trials and errors.

After the 2019 season, Oh Ji-hwan re-signed for four years at a total of 4 billion won, a bargain price. If he had thought about money, he would have joined a team offering much better terms, but the ‘fool’ Oh Ji-hwan, sincere to LG, stayed with his original team. And he proved his true value with his performance.

Oh Ji-hwan recorded a .300 batting average in 2020 and hit 25 home runs in 2022, excelling as a batter as well. He grew into a promising player to quench fans’ thirst for a championship. In this year’s Korean Series, he dominated the series by hitting three home runs and became the MVP.

The game between kt wiz and LG Twins in the 5th match of the 2023 KBO Korean Series held on the 13th at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. LG players, having secured the Korean Series championship by defeating kt, are joyfully holding the trophy. [Image source=Yonhap News]

‘Foolish LG fans’ who endured 29 years of hardship

Perhaps the real fools of LG are someone else. They are the fans who waited endlessly through 29 years of hardship. If they had been fans of other successful teams like Doosan, Kia, or Samsung, they could have experienced multiple championships during that time, but LG fans loyally supported only one team.

Becoming an LG fan was a choice that meant enduring a tough life. Just liking LG could make one a target of ridicule from fans of other teams. The curse of DTD, meaning ‘down to down,’ haunted LG players and fans for a long time, as the team was expected to fall.

LG fans have a contradictory image of being both fanatic and passionate. The third game of the 2014 KBO playoff semifinals held at Jamsil Stadium on October 24 is known for its legendary mass singing. When ‘Jeoktoma’ Lee Byung-kyu, a representative figure symbolizing LG along with Park Yong-taek, appeared as a pinch hitter, fans responded with thunderous cheers. It was the legendary day when even fans at COEX, far away, heard the cheers for Lee Byung-kyu.

LG fans are famous for their passionate cheering that intimidates opposing pitchers, and when games do not go well, they actively express their opinions. During the so-called dark era when LG repeatedly failed to reach the postseason, fans even demanded a manager’s hearing. Players who played for LG confessed they experienced mental pressure incomparable to other teams.

The reason LG fans acted this way is because the waiting period was a full 29 years. 1994 was the year actress Suzy, known as the nation’s first love, was born. Those born after 1994 or who became LG fans have never experienced a championship.

LG was not lacking in baseball skills. The team’s structure and ability were evaluated as top-class, but they failed to overcome critical moments and were frustrated at the doorstep of the championship. Last year, LG competed for first place until the end of the regular season but finished second. However, they lost to Kiwoom in the postseason, missing the Korean Series. The jinx of being weak in big games spread uneasy vibes throughout the LG organization.

The game between kt wiz and LG Twins in the 5th match of the 2023 KBO Korean Series held on the 13th at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. LG players, having secured the Korean Series championship by defeating kt, are celebrating with their fans.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

'Dalma Ajusshi' might have cried from the sky too

Even in this year’s overwhelming performance, LG was called the ‘Turning Point Twins.’ Even when leading alone in first place, fans were gripped by anxiety that the lead could be overturned. No one felt secure until the first place in the regular season was confirmed. The Korean Series was the same. After losing Game 1 and trailing 0-4 in the first inning of Game 2, pessimism spread that this year would also be difficult.

However, dramatic home runs by Oh Ji-hwan and Park Dong-won, and strong pitching by middle relievers Yoo Young-chan and Ham Deok-ju led to a dramatic comeback victory, which laid the foundation for the grand achievement. After the championship was confirmed on the 13th, the ‘foolish’ LG fans shed tears they had held back for 29 years and comforted each other.

But there are those who never saw the long-awaited LG championship. The name ‘Dalma Ajusshi’ is remembered by every true LG fan. Despite physical disabilities, he played the role of a mascot in the LG stands with his warm smile. Dalma Ajusshi, who cheered for LG’s heart Park Yong-taek, was well known among players. He came to Jamsil Stadium to support LG even in bad weather and wanted more than anyone to see the championship moment.

However, Dalma Ajusshi passed away in June 2014. LG organization and players paid their respects at his funeral and mourned his passing. Though he never experienced the championship moment, many fans remember him. Being a cherished memory for someone means Dalma Ajusshi’s life was not in vain.

LG fans remember each other and ask about each other’s well-being.

What were you doing 29 years ago? And how did you live through those 29 years? Now, what kind of life will you live…?

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