▲ KBO Commissioner Huh Koo-youn pays his respects at the wake of the late former manager Baek In-cheon, set up at the funeral hall of Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, on the 16th.
On the 16th, the second day following the passing of the late former manager Baek In-cheon, figures from the baseball community continued to visit the wake set up at the funeral hall of Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, to mourn him.
Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) Commissioner Huh Koo-youn, former Commissioner Koo Bon-neung, former national team manager Kim In-sik, LG Twins CEO Kim In-seok and General Manager Cha Myung-suk, and former SSG Landers CEO Min Kyung-sam paid their respects to the deceased.
Yoo Seung-an, former president of the Korea Little League Baseball Federation, who is an alumnus of Kyungdong High School and received a scholarship from the Baek In-cheon Scholarship Foundation during his high school years, guarded the wake today following yesterday.
Lee Man-soo, former manager of the SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers) who played as a player when Baek managed the Samsung Lions, also visited the wake to mourn.
Condolences were also expressed from Japanese professional baseball, where Baek once played as a player.
Japan's Nippon Ham Fighters sent a funeral wreath under the name of Representative Director Komura Masaru.
Baek joined the Toei Flyers, the predecessor of Nippon Ham, in 1962 and played there until 1974.
Chang Hoon (Japanese name Isao Harimoto), a Korean resident in Japan who played alongside Baek during his time with Toei, published a column through a Japanese media outlet on this day, recalling the times he spent with Baek by saying, "He was a precious junior and a colleague who ran through the same era."
Baek, who won the Japanese professional baseball batting title in 1975, dominated Japanese pro baseball before returning to South Korea in 1982, the inaugural year of domestic professional baseball. He played as a player-manager for the MBC Blue Dragons and left an immortal record of a .412 batting average that year.
After retiring as a player with the Sammi Superstars, he served as manager for the LG Twins, Samsung Lions, and Lotte Giants.
Former manager Baek In-cheon passed away on the morning of the 15th while receiving treatment for a cerebral hemorrhage.
The funeral is being held as a KBO funeral organized by the KBO, with veteran baseball figure Kim Sosik, former vice president of the Korea Baseball Association, serving as the funeral committee chairman.
KBO Commissioner Huh Koo-youn and former KBO Commissioner Yoo Young-gyu are participating as advisors, while KBO Secretary General Park Geun-chan is participating as the executive committee chairman.
The cortege leaves for the funeral at 8:00 AM tomorrow (the 17th).
(Photo provided by the Korea Baseball Organization, Yonhap News)
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