Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 21st, where the professional baseball team Lotte and SSG played head-to-head. The surroundings were crowded with people three hours before the start of the game. A line of more than 50 meters stood in front of the souvenir shop selling uniforms, and spectators who had not pre-booked tickets formed a long line in front of the ticket vending machine to purchase on-site. Families who brought mats and ate lunch boxes and enjoyed outings also stood out. Bae Gwang-woo (39), who brought his six-year-old daughter with his wife, said, “It’s been a long time since I watched baseball only at home and didn’t come to the baseball field, but Lotte played baseball so well this year that I came out to play for the first time in a long time.”
Busan, the old city, is infested with Lotte Shenzhen, which is competing for the lead this season after hovering in the lower ranks. Lotte ranked 3rd in the league in 2017 and stayed in 7th, 10th, 7th, 8th and 8th for five years until last year. However, this year, with a completely different look, such as winning 9 consecutive victories in 15 years, it has risen and fallen to the top spot, establishing itself as a leader. The anticipation of being able to aim for the championship for the first time in 31 years since 1992 is burning in the hearts of passionate fans.
Last weekend’s three-game series (19-21) showed the heat without adding or subtracting. A three-game series against SSG for first place. 65,000 spectators attended the three games. On the 20th and 21st, 22,990 seats were sold out for two consecutive games. This is the third sale this year. Sajik Baseball Stadium was sold out three times last season, but this year it caught up with last year’s record less than two months after opening. Sales of Lotte uniforms and souvenirs increased by 60% compared to the same period last year, and sales at food and beverage outlets at baseball stadiums also increased by more than 30%. Kang Min-seung (25), a university student in the Busan area, said, “This year, as if all of my friends are competing, they take pictures at the Sajik Baseball Stadium and post them on social media.”
The baseball craze also makes the surrounding merchants smile. Before the start of the game, there was a waiting line that filled the sidewalk in front of chicken gangjeong shops, snack bars, and chicken restaurants near the baseball field. Onam Oh (69), who has been running a chicken gangjeong shop with his son in front of the baseball field since 2020, said, “It was very difficult because the corona broke out right after opening, but thanks to Lotte this year, I am laughing.” I hope Lotte continues the momentum and plays fall baseball and wins.” Restaurants and bars in the food alley near the baseball field are also said to be full of customers until late at night on baseball game days.
Lotte, which gained momentum on the first day of the three-game series, suffered two days in a row. On the 21st, Lotte lost to SSG 3-6. It is the second consecutive loss following the 0-5 defeat the previous day. It also dropped to number 3 in the rankings. SSG Choi Jeong (36) hit a solo home run in the first inning, and heredia (32), the 4th hitter, also swung a hard hit with 2 hits and 3 RBIs in 5 at-bats. The game was lost, but Lotte fans left the stadium laughing. Kwon Hyeok-jun (47), a resident of Dongrae-gu, Busan, said, “How can I win every game?”체스카지노
In Jamsil, LG beat Hanwha 4-1 and won 4 consecutive wins. They tied for first place with SSG (26 wins, 1 draw, 14 losses). Starter Kim Yun-sik (23) pitched 6 scoreless innings, and Kim Hyun-soo (35) played an active role with 2 hits, including a double (1 RBI) in the first inning final. In Suwon, the lowest ranked KT beat Doosan 7-3. KT recorded a ‘winning series’ in about a month, posting 2 wins and 1 loss in this three-game series. In Changwon, Samsung defeated NC 2-1 after 12 overtime matches.
In Gwangju, Kiwoom defeated KIA 1-0. As KIA starting pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong (35) became a losing pitcher, the KBO (Korea Baseball Organization) career solo 2nd place (162 wins) was postponed to the next opportunity, but instead, he ranked 3rd with the most innings pitched alone. He threw 2205 innings in his career, surpassing Lee Kang-cheol (current KT coach) who threw 2204 and 2/3 innings. 1st and 2nd in this category are Song Jin-woo (3003 innings) and Jung Min-cheol (2394 2/3 innings).