“KT fans are so cool.”
KT Wiz players still can’t forget the emotion of the day.
KT, led by head coach Lee Kang-chul, failed to advance to the playoffs by losing to the LG Twins in the semi-playoff of the 2024 season, but ended the season with a warm round of applause from KT fans.
KT finished the regular season tied for fifth with SSG Landers (72-70-2). In order to advance to the postseason, the team had to win the first-ever fifth-place match. KT lost the fifth-place match on Oct. 1, falling behind 1-3 until the bottom of the eighth inning, and Mel Rojas Jr. scored a come-from-behind three-run homerun against Kim Kwang-hyun, resulting in a miraculous victory.
KT, which dramatically acquired tickets for autumn baseball for the fifth consecutive year, did not back down. It beat the Doosan Bears 4-0 in the first round of the wild-card game. It became the third team to win the first round of the wild-card game after the KIA Tigers in 2016 and the Kiwoom Heroes in 2021.
In the second round, they did not lose. They won the game magically. Wes Benjamin’s seven scoreless innings led them to overwhelm 1-0 and become the first fifth – ranked team to qualify for the playoffs.
In the semi-PO, he played a fierce battle with LG until the end, leading the game to Game 5, and although he did not reach the PO, he left with more encouragement and applause from fans than anyone else.
It was natural for baseball fans to scream and applaud as they performed their best to the end. It was different from last fall’s baseball games. Players could even feel it. Most of all, KT’s fans shouted Lee Kang-chul’s name and cheered for him, unlike other teams’ coaches and players who were leaving the team lonesomely.
“I only mentioned this much during the Wild Card game, but so many fans came to see me,” coach Lee Kang-chul said after the fifth round of the semi-PO. “I came all the way here to break the 0 percent chance with them. Thank you so much. And I’m sorry. I’ll prepare well and meet you next year with a good performance.” 안전놀이터
The same goes for the players. “When you go to autumn baseball, you will gain strength that you never had before,” said Son Dong-hyun, a must-winner at KT’s training center in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, on Tuesday. “Before the tiebreaker, the game started to take place a week ago. Back then, losing one game would have been a real crisis, but from then on, fans filled the stadium like an autumn baseball atmosphere.”
“When we played the wild card game against Doosan this time, we warmed up during the cleaning time, and KT’s away fans filled not only the third base but also the outfield seats. I felt it was a lot last year, but I felt it with my eyes that it has increased this year. I am very grateful that the fans cheered for us so strongly even after the loss,” he said.
“Watching the Wild Card match on TV, I was so proud to be a member of KT,” pitcher Yuk Cheong-myung said. “Fans cheered loudly, too.”
The same goes for rookies. “I watched the game not only this year but also last year,” said Park Geon-woo, a former Chungam High School pitcher who will join KT as the second round pick. Honestly, I think the cheering sound from fans was louder this year. Players can’t do anything if they hear such shouting. KT is a strong team that goes to the postseason every year. I am writing my first record every year, and I will do my best with my teammates and fans.”
KT is in the midst of training to wrap up the season in Iksan, Japan. What about next year? Players are already excited at the thought of having a happy 2025 season with increased fans.
