▲ South Korea's Park Jae-hyun attempts a steal during the first inning of the Group B third match against Thailand in the baseball tournament at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Baseball Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 23rd.
National baseball team's youngest player, Park Jae-hyun (19, KIA Tigers), made a head-scratching play today (the 23rd) during the Group B third match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games against Thailand, held at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Baseball Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Starting as the leadoff hitter and center fielder, Park drew a walk in the bottom of the first inning and immediately attempted a steal of second base.
Given that Thailand is a weaker team composed of amateur players, there was no pressing need to risk injury with a stolen base.
However, Park did not hesitate.
He even slid into the base to successfully secure a safe call.
During this process, Park was hit on the tailbone by the Thai catcher's throw, causing him to lie on the ground in pain for quite some time.
Meeting with reporters after the match, when asked why he bothered to steal, Park explained, "I thought we needed to score the opening run as quickly as possible so everyone could play more comfortably. That is why I ran aggressively."
He continued, "It would lack sportsmanship to slack off just because the opponent is weaker. Throughout my athletic career, I have always tried my best in every single game, and I did the exact same thing today."
The opportunity created by Park immediately led to the game's first run.
Following a walk by Yoon Dong-hee (Lotte Giants), an advancement hit by Kim Do-young (KIA), and a sacrifice fly by Noh Si-hwan (Hanwha Eagles), South Korea scored the opening run, and Moon Bo-gyeong (LG Twins) followed up with a two-run homer to right field, making it 3-0.
Afterward, South Korea battered the Thai pitching staff to secure an 18-1 victory via a 5-inning mercy rule.
Focusing solely on hitting from the second inning onward, Park put on a phenomenal performance.
He blasted a grand slam in the second inning, recorded a single to right field in the third, and drew a walk in the fourth, finishing the game with 2 hits (1 home run) in 2 at-bats, 2 walks, and 5 RBIs.
With three consecutive wins in the group stage, South Korea secured first place in their group and advanced to the Super Round.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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