SSG Landers‘ iconic figures Kim Kwang-hyun (36) and Choo Shin-soo (42) swallowed a bitter pill, ending the 2024 season and their baseball careers.

The two players made surprise appearances in the bullpen and as pinch-hitters against visiting KT WIZ in the tiebreaker game for fifth place in the 2024 Baseball World Series at Katwiz Park in Suwon on Jan. 1, but they hung their heads in the worst-case scenario.

Kim Kwang-hyun made a surprise appearance as the team’s third pitcher with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning with a 3-1 lead.

He threw hard to the cheers of the SSG fans, but gave up a single to right to Oh Jae-il, the team’s pinch-hitter.

With runners on first and third, Mel Rojas Jr. hit a three-run home run over the left field wall.

Kwang-hyun Kim’s changeup was driven up the middle, and Rojas couldn’t miss it.

Kim shook his head, not looking at the pitch, as if he expected the worst.

Kim struck out the next batter, but the game was already in KT’s favor.

Kim came out of the bullpen for the game with only two days’ rest after his last appearance against the Hanwha Eagles on March 28, and he was unable to throw a powerful pitch, perhaps because he was not fully recovered.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shin-soo Choo was left with a bitter taste in his mouth.

Before the start of this season, Shin-soo announced that he will retire from baseball for the last time in 2024.

After suffering a shoulder injury at the end of the season that kept him out of action, Choo Shin-soo came in as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning of the regular season finale against the Kiwoom Heroes on March 30 and hit an infield grounder.

His SSG teammates lined up in front of the dugout to encourage him for his “last at-bat” and high-fived him, while SSG coach Lee Sung-yong handed him a bouquet of flowers.

After the game, Choo Shin-soo said, “It’s hard for me to play normally, so I will support my juniors from behind in fall baseball.”

However, before the fifth-place game against KT on the first day, Lee announced that Choo Shin-soo’s condition seemed to have improved a lot, and he would pinch-hit.

In the top of the ninth inning with the bases loaded and one out, trailing 3-4, Lee substituted Choo Shin-soo for Jung Hyun-seung.

Choo Shin-soo was unable to respond to a hard fastball from KT closer Park Young-hyun.

He swung wildly at a slider on a two-ball, two-strike count and was retired.

SSG eventually lost 3-4 and failed to advance to the postseason. Choo Shin-soo’s career came to an unfortunate end. 사설 토토사이트