“I hope HYUNJIN comes…”
It was Feb. 1. Jung Woo-ram (39), who became the playing coach for the Hanwha Eagles in the professional baseball league, stayed in Seosan and prepared for the new season. While we were talking about various things, the name of Ryu Hyun-jin (37) came out. Ryu, who had been receiving offers for the Major League as an FA until then, couldn’t easily decide on his next move.
Jung Woo-ram said, “When Hyun-jin comes, our team will also change. There seems to be a possibility that Hyun-jin will come. Personally, I hope Hyun-jin will come.” Three weeks later, Ryu Hyun-jin really came to Hanwha. He signed a contract worth 17 billion won for eight years and returned to his old team after 12 years.
Ryu Hyun-jin’s return was a huge plus for Hanwha in terms of team strength, but there was something that Jung Woo-ram personally expected. It was because of his promise four years ago. Ryu, who signed a four-year FA contract with the Toronto Blue Jays after the 2019 season, told Jung Woo-ram, “Bro, just hang in there for four years. Join me.” This means that he will return to Hanwha as soon as his contract with Toronto is terminated, so let’s play together. Jung was 35 years old at the time as well.
The two players had never been on the same team before. When Ryu played for Hanwha before advancing to the U.S. Major League in 2013, Jung was an SK player. However, after moving to the Hanwha Eagles as an FA after the end of the 2015 season, he went to overseas private camps with his juniors every offseason and became close to Ryu, whom he met then.
Ryu Hyun-jin kept his promise four years ago, but Jung Woo-ram broke it. Although he signed as a playing coach this year, he focused on coaching juniors as a pitching coach for Seosan’s residual forces. I trained individually in my spare time, but my physical condition did not improve. Eventually, he decided to retire from active duty on the 15th, and it wasn’t until the retirement game on the 29th that he met Ryu Hyun-jin in Daejeon.
Jung Woo-ram started his 1,005th game against the NC Dinosaurs as his first starting pitcher. He ended his 21-year professional career by allowing NC`s No. 1 hitter Choi Jeong-won to hit a right-handed hit on the fourth fastball. After leaving the mound amid loud applause and cheers from spectators, Jung smiled as he hugged Ryu who welcomed him at the dugout.
At the Jung Woo-ram retirement ceremony held after the game, several players sent video letters through the electronic display. Among them was Ryu Hyun-jin. “Wo-ram, I came back because I really wanted to play with you, but you didn’t keep your promise. I haven’t played in the same team, but I think it was amazing as a player. You’ve worked so hard, and I’ll cheer for you in your second life as well.” 토토사이트
Jung Woo-ram also mentioned Ryu in his retirement speech. Jung Woo-ram, who called out the names of Hanwha’s junior players one by one and delivered a heartfelt message, finally brought up the name of Ryu. “Lastly, Hyun-jin. I’m so sad that I can’t run with you, the ace player of the Republic of Korea, who loves Hanwha more than anyone else. I think I’ll have a lot of memories in the future because I couldn’t keep my promise to play together four years ago.”
Ryu’s eyes also looked teary, perhaps because the tip of his nose was touching. “Seeing you getting older, getting more prepared and taking care of your teammates makes me feel that you are a player to be respected,” Jung said. “I hope you enjoy baseball while being loved by fans of the Eagles for a long time. You did a great job this season.” Ryu also thanked Jung by taking off his hat and clapping his hands.
Jung kept on shedding tears throughout the retirement ceremony. He reportedly cried a lot while preparing for his retirement for a few days. Jung couldn’t talk easily even at the retirement press conference before the game, saying, “I came to Daejeon after receiving a lot of attention and love in 2016. I haven’t been able to make Hanwha fans happy for the past nine years…”I feel like I am leaving after receiving a lot of love,” he said, wiping away tears. He was so sad that he could only go to fall baseball once in 2018 for nine years.
Although his career as a player is over, he is waiting for his second life as a leader. Though it has not been decided yet, chances are high that he will start as an official coach at Hanwha. Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon also said of Chung Woo-ram on the day, “1,005 games, a lot. How well did he manage his physical condition? It is amazing.” “Being able to have such a retirement ceremony reflects how well he has been as a player. I am also a coach now, and I hope he will nurture many good juniors.”
