It didn’t break in the end.
Moon Bo-kyung of the LG Twins started as the fourth batter and third baseman in an away game against the Samsung Lions in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Sunday. In the final game of the regular season, he showed off four hits (two homers), six RBIs and three runs from five times at bat. He topped the 100-run mark for the first time in his career, leading his team to a landslide 11-4 victory.
Before this game, Moon had 95 RBIs for the season. He smiled happily as he dramatically exceeded 100 RBIs in his last game and last at-bat. He added six RBIs and finished the 2024 season with a total of 101. He posted triple-digit RBIs for the first time since his debut in the first team in 2021.
It is also the ninth record in the history of the LG Twins. After Petazini in 2009, Jo In-sung in 2010, Jimenez in 2016, Kim Hyun-soo and Chae Eun-seong in 2018, Moon Bo-kyung has built a 100-run golden tower to mark his name in the club’s history.
In addition, Moon raised his batting average for the season, which was 0.296 before the game, to settle in the 300s. Having played in all 144 games, Moon had a batting average of 0.301 (156 hits in 519 times at bat), 22 homers, 101 RBIs and 80 runs scored, and a slugging percentage of 0.507. He maintained the batting average of 300 for three consecutive years. He also broke the record of most hits, home runs, RBIs and runs scored in an individual season, as well as slugging percentage.
In the top of the first inning, Moon had his first at-bat with runners on the first and second bases with one out. On the sixth pitch, Samsung starter Choi Chae-heung hit a 111 km/h curve to hit a three-run homer with a flying distance of 115 meters. He gave the team a 3-0 win. With runners on the second and third pitch with two outs in the top of the third inning, he hit a 139 km/h fastball to blast a solo homer with a flying distance of 105 meters to the left. The score was widened to 4-0.
In the top of the fifth inning, the runner on the first and third bases with one out made by hitting the middle ground, continuing the opportunity. In the top of the sixth inning, the third baseman was grounded out to second.
After scoring 99 RBIs, the team reached the top of the eighth inning. After Kim Hyun-jong’s fly ball to right field, Koo Bon-hyuk’s strikeout with a swing and miss, Choi Won-young’s hit to left center, Kim Min-soo’s hit to left field, and Lee Young-bin’s walk made the bases loaded with two outs. Moon Bo-kyung’s turn again. Moon hit a timely two-run homer to the right, surpassing the 100-run mark in this season. He sealed the game 11-4.
After the game, Moon Bo-kyung said, “I feel so good. It means a lot to me because it’s my first 100 RBIs. The difference between double- and triple-digit RBIs is really big,” adding, “I can’t believe it. Even after hitting it, it didn’t feel real. All I can think of is that it’s so good.”
How was his last at-bat with 99 RBIs? “I was so nervous. Didn’t I miss the chance at the beginning of the sixth inning?” Moon said. “I hit a batting average of .300 during the game, but I was disappointed because I couldn’t hit the batter’s box and my batting average dropped and I had less than 100 RBIs,” Moon said. “By the way, the players (in the beginning of the eighth inning) managed to get on base and gave me a chance. I am truly grateful to my teammates. I also thank the manager for continuing to create opportunities.”
To ease Moon’s tension, LG players jokingly said, “You’re going to stop at 99 RBIs.” “Even though they made fun of me like that, they kept saying nice things to me,” Moon said. “I told them, ‘Don’t give up,’ and that the important thing is my heart that never breaks down. I was able to hit the ball well thanks to you.”
After scoring 100 RBIs, he hugged each and every member of the team in the dugout. Happy smiles spread. “Everyone congratulated me. I didn’t understand what Austin said in English,” Moon said with a big smile. According to the LG Twins, Austin said, “Congratulations on your career record number of home runs and your first 100 RBIs. I’m proud of you.” 먹튀검증
In the final match, he had to post at least five RBIs. As it was never easy, he calmed down expectations. “Actually, I didn’t expect much. Still, I think I thought a lot that I could still challenge myself,” Moon said.
LG finished the regular season in third place, confirming its advance to the semi-playoffs. LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop wanted to give Moon a break in preparation for the post-season, but he showed strong will to play. “I really wanted to have 100 RBIs. It wasn’t an easy opportunity to come, and I felt it was worth trying,” Moon said. “I told the manager that I wanted to play in the game, but playing in the game helped me achieve 100 RBIs in the end.”
After the victory, Hong Chang-ki and Park Hae-min got busy in the dugout while Moon Bo-kyung had an interview with a television broadcaster. He pulled out the whole bottle of water from the water purifier and filled it with water. It was to shower the water on Moon. After the interview, Moon sprinted toward the outfield and ran away, before being quickly caught. Eventually, he became covered in water.
Moon Bo-kyung said, “During the interview, I kept looking to the right (of the older brothers). When the older brothers came with a water bottle, I thought, ‘Oh, I should run away.'”
LG Electronics has achieved overall championship for the first time in 29 years since 1994. This year, it aims to come from behind to win in the semi-playoffs. “I started the fall baseball league as the third place, and I don’t want to end there. I want to finish the season by going as high as possible,” Moon said.
“I want to do well. I want to overcome it so that I can be of help to the team as much as possible,” he said.
