In the end, the SSG Landers lost their franchise star.
The Hanwha Eagles announced on the afternoon of the 24th, “Outfielder Kim Kang-min, who became a member of the Hanwha Eagles through the second round of the draft, has decided to continue his career. At this meeting, Kim expressed his intention to extend his career to the club.”
In other words, Kim Kang-min will not retire from SSG, but will continue to play for Hanwha. “We plan to include Kim Kang-min in the list of pending players to be submitted to the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) on the 25th,” Hanwha announced.
In the second round of the 2024 KBO Draft on May 22, Hanwha selected SSG outfielder Kim Kang-min. It was a surprise to everyone. Kim is the oldest player in the game, turning 42 next year. Hanwha selected a player who could retire at any moment. It was a result that no one expected.
SSG was also surprised.
One minute they were on the cusp of retiring and extending his career, and the next they were missing out on a player who had dedicated 23 years to the team.
Kim broke into the professional scene in 2001 after being drafted by SSG’s predecessor, SK. He is a franchise star who played for the same team for 23 years until the 2023 season. He is a veteran of five Korean Series titles.
If Kim were to finish his career with SSG, he could organize a retirement ceremony, coach training, and more. 바카라사이트 The club was considering how to honor a franchise star who has played so long with one team. However, when he was selected by Hanwha in the second round of the draft, he was faced with the choice of going to Hanwha or retiring immediately from SSG.
SSG even considered giving Kim Kang-min a permanent number. They said that he didn’t meet the criteria for a permanent absence based on his career record alone, but they wanted to give him the treatment he deserved because he was an iconic player.
They even considered training him as a coach after his retirement, but it became difficult.
Perhaps the most perplexing is Kim Kang-min. In his situation, he could have thought about retiring after playing for SSG, but the second draft changed all that. The only thing SSG can do for him in the future is to put him on the “special roster” and give him a retirement game.
An SSG representative briefly commented on Kim’s final decision to join Hanwha, saying, “We respect the player’s decision.”
You can’t blame Hanwha for taking Kim. It’s a perfectly legal move. “I think Kim Kang-min’s value is high, both in the present and the future,” Son Hyuk said. He can be a starter, and we don’t have enough resources for a big defender or a substitute. He can play for another year or two. It’s too early to retire.”
SSG’s juniors are also disappointed with the results of the second draft. “Ace” Kim Kwang-hyun said on SNS, “There is a saying that SNS is a waste of life, but I have to do it today,” and “I respect someone’s choice, but I think 23 years shouldn’t be ignored. Goodbye, brother. It’s really cold today,” and regretted parting ways with Kim Kang Min.