Normally, I would have been preparing to start that day. As usual, he was warming up to throw out the first pitch at 6:30 p.m. and doing mental exercises on how to face the opposing hitters.
Instead, he was in the dugout with his head down. There may never have been a darker, heavier day in Kim Kwang-hyun’s (35‧SSG) baseball career. Two days after the World Baseball Classic (WBC) nighttime drinking epidemic that began with a media report, Kim was forced to admit that he was one of the culprits.
“I’m standing in front of the media and fans to apologize for my unsavory behavior during the WBC,” Kim said, bowing his head to the media before the game against Samsung in Incheon. “For whatever reason, I acted without thinking during the national tournament, and I want to express my sincere apologies to all the fans, media, and baseball players who love baseball.”
Kim, who was selected to the WBC team in March, submitted a statement to the KBO stating that he entered a bar in downtown Tokyo on two occasions during the tournament. Contrary to some reports, he did not drink alcohol before the games against Australia and Japan. Kim stated that he visited the bar on March 7, the day the team traveled from Osaka to Tokyo, and again on March 10, the day before the rest day after the Japan game. He also submitted specific documents to prove this, so there’s a good chance that it’s true.안전놀이터
In the first place, many officials did not believe that he drank alcohol on the day before the game, especially since he was notified of his selection before the game against Japan. However, it was found that he went to the bar during the tournament, and it was inevitable that public opinion would criticize him. He could face disciplinary action at the KBO level for damaging a representative player.
“As a veteran of the team, I regret that my thoughts were very short and I was not able to control myself,” said Kim Kwang-hyun, “I will continue to work diligently on the KBO investigation and humbly accept the results.” The SSG also granted Kim Kwang-hyun’s request and expunged him from the first team roster on the second day. However, a brief absence from the first-team roster is not enough to avoid criticism.
Two questions remain unanswered. Why did Kim Kwang-hyun, who doesn’t usually drink during the season or tournaments, drink at that point, and why did Kim Kwang-hyun, who knows so much about the physiology of the national team, go out of his way to drink at that point. It’s not an easy question to answer, and that’s why it’s considered “unexpected” by many.
It depends on how you look at it. In hindsight, it’s hard to say that drinking had a significant impact on performance. However, refraining from leaving the hotel late at night during a competition is one of those things that professional athletes “should” do, even if they can’t enforce it. In reality, the vast majority of athletes stayed in their dorms. If they had simply had a few drinks in the dormitory to relieve stress without compromising their performance, they would not have been criticized.
In any case, Kim Kwang-hyun’s tower of Taekwondo marks came crashing down. From the 2008 Beijing Olympics to the 2023 WBC, the flag had been a point of pride for 15 years. He served as the national team’s ace on countless international stages. Whenever his country called, he was there, throwing his best and leading the way. And the WBC in 2023 was the ‘last taegeuk mark’ he had in mind, given his age, but he made an irreparable mistake on that final stage. Now there is no chance to make it up.
At the same time as Kim Kwang-hyun’s tower came crashing down, so did the hearts of SSG fans who had always believed in him. The fans’ belief that the ace, who has always been reliable on the mound and has always been sincere in everything he does for the fans, would not do such a thing was shattered on the 1st with his official apology. While some fans will continue to support Kwang-hyun and others will withdraw their support, this incident has hurt them as much as it has him. Kim Kwang-hyun has lost too much.