The Northern League All-Stars won the Futures All-Star Game, led by a three-run home run by Busan-born “Seoul Man” Kim Bum-seok (LG Twins).
The Northern All-Stars, featuring LG, Hanwha Eagles, Cat Heroes, SSG Landers, and Dusan Bears, defeated the Southern All-Stars, featuring the Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Commerce), NC Dinos, Samsung Lions, Lotte Giants, KT Wiz, and Kia Tigers, 9-7 in the 2023 KBO Shinhan Bank SOL Futures All-Star Game at Sajik Stadium in Busan on Thursday.
The Northern League All-Stars, who went 2-3 at the Futures All-Star Game last year, avenged their loss.
It had been raining incessantly ahead of the game, making it unclear whether the game would be played, but the rain stopped about an hour before the start of the game, allowing the field to be prepared, and a ‘play ball’ was called at 6:15 p.m., 15 minutes later than the scheduled time.
Kim Bum-seok, a big-hitting prospect from Gyeongnam Jung-Gyeongnam High School who spent his school years in Busan and was a second-round pick of LG ahead of this season, hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning.
With his team leading 4-3 in the fifth inning, Kim batted with runners on first and second base and pulled a five-pitch pitch from Han Jae-seung (NC) over the left-center field fence.
The distance of 130 meters was enough to showcase Kim’s natural power.
According to Trackman data, Kim’s home run was 128.3 meters away and his bat speed was 170 kilometers per hour.
In the seventh inning, after his team had tied the game and regained an 8-7 lead, he hit an RBI single to right field.
Kim was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Futures All-Star Game after going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs, earning $2 million in prize money.
The Northern All-Stars struck first.
In the top of the first inning, Lee Min-joon (Hanwha) led off with a double off the top of the fence, and the Northern All-Stars added another run on a walk by pitcher Hwang Dong-ha (KIA).
The Southern All-Stars took advantage of their opponent’s fielding error to turn the game around.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, back-to-back singles by Kim Young-woong (Samsung) and Han Seung-yeon (KIA) put two runners on base, but Jeong Dae-sun (Lotte)’s throw to right field was misplayed by the Northern right fielder.
With both runners on base and the score tied at 2-2, Kim Byung-joon (KT) followed with a double to put the Southern All-Stars back on top.
However, the Northern All-Stars regained the lead in the top of the fifth inning when Kim Jung-min (SSG) scored on an infield grounder and a wild pitch to make it 4-3, and then Kim Bum-seok hit a three-run home run.
The Southern All-Stars responded in the top of the seventh inning with an RBI triple by Kim Byung-joon, an RBI double by Cho Min-sung (Samsung), 카지노사이트킴 and an RBI single by Kim Sun-woo (KIA), followed by a two-run home run by Koo Bon-hyuk (Commerce) to tie the game at 7-7.
Then, in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Northern All-Stars took the lead again, 9-7, with Kim Gun-geon (SSG) hitting an RBI single and Kim Bum-seok (SSG) driving in a run.
The game was attended by 13,320 fans at Sajik Stadium in bad weather to watch the ‘KBO League’s Future Stars’ in action.
Koo Bon-hyuk, who hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning, was named the Most Valuable Player, Seo Sang-jun, who pitched one scoreless inning in the ninth to preserve the Northern All-Star victory, and Kim Byung-jun, who went 1-for-3 with four hits, one walk, one RBI, and one run scored, each took home a prize of 1 million won.
