Can LG Twins veteran catcher Heo Do-hwan, 39, add another KS championship ring to his collection?

Heo Do-hwan, the KBO’s signature backup catcher and “Journeyman,” has been a big part of the LG Twins’ dominance this year. The team signed free agent Park Dong-won, and while Park has been the starting catcher, Heo’s presence cannot be ignored.먹튀검증

LG pulled off a 9-5 come-from-behind victory in the second game of a doubleheader against SSG in the 15th game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Jamsil Stadium on April 17. In the process, Heo Do-hwan was also involved.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning with his team leading 3-2, he took a three-pitch, 145-kilometer-per-hour fastball from SSG foreign left-hander Kirk McCarty for a solo home run over the left field fence.

After Heo Do-hwan’s solo shot, LG scored three more runs to take the win. LG has now won four in a row and is well on its way to consolidating first place. After the game, Heo Do-hwan said, “I feel good that the team won, and it’s even better that we won in a row.”

“The pitcher was good at throwing fastballs, so I only thought about the fastball, and I thought it would go over the fence the moment I hit it,” he reflected.

Through 36 games this season, Heo is batting .159 with two home runs and seven RBIs. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s exactly what LG needs this year. He’s not just about his batting average.

He is a veteran who has seen it all. He has experience in winning, especially on the big stage. His first professional team was Doosan. He entered the professional scene in 2003 after being drafted by Doosan. Since then, he has played for Nexen (now Kiwoom), Hanwha, SK (now SSG), and KT before coming to LG.

In 2018, he was a member of SK’s Korean Series championship team, and in 2021, he was a member of KT’s unified championship team. He has two Korean Series championship rings.

He has six professional team jerseys with LG. You could say he’s a jersey collector. However, he can expect a third Korean Series ring this year. LG has a commanding lead in the standings. The chances of winning the regular season are very high. It’s practically booked.

If they go straight to the Korean Series and smile all the way, Heo will have his third Korean Series ring. After winning the KT championship, Heo became a free agent but flew under the radar. LG reached out to him with a two-year deal totaling 400 million won, and he took it and is on his way to the biggest stage once again.

Heo was a backup catcher at both SK and KT. In SK, Lee Jae-won was the starting catcher and led the team to the Korean Series title, but Heo Do-hwan was also there. At KT, there was Jang Sung-woo, but then there was Heo Do-hwan.

“It’s hard (not playing regularly), and it’s harder now that I’m older, but I think it’s something you have to do as a baseball player, and I think you have to do it more for the team,” said Heo, who hit his second home run of the season in the last SSG game. It’s not a role that draws a lot of attention, but he gets the job done.

“I’m very grateful to the fans, and I’m determined to stay in first place until the end of the season,” he said. It will be interesting to see if he can keep his promise and win his third Korean Series title this year.