KOREAN SLUGGER TIES KBO HOME RUN RECORD

Joon-hyuk Yang of the Samsung Lions is now just one home run away from setting the Korea Baseball Organization’s all-time homer record after blasting the 340th roundtripper of his career Tuesday, April 14 in the bottom of the first inning of a game against the Hanwha Eagles. Yang is tied on top of the list with Jong-hoon Jang, who now manages Hanwha’s minor league team.


The 39-year-old Yang is in his 17th professional season. He was the KBO’s Rookie of the Year with Samsung in 1993, and has gone on to appear in 14 All-Star Games, win eight Gold Gloves and posted nine straight seasons in which he batted .300 or better. He has posted over 2,000 hits in his career, with at least 100 hits every year since 1993. He has registered four seasons with at least 20 homers and 20 stolen bases, and posted 15 consecutive seasons of double-digit home run totals (including nine years or 20 or more dingers). Yang has hit for the cycle twice, in 1996 and 2003, both times against the Hyundai Unicorns.

A left-handed Daegu native, Yang also played for the Haitai Tigers and LG Twins before returning to Samsung in 2003.