MVP Kim Kangmin presents his “first win” to his best friend Choo Shin-soo
“Choo Shin-soo didn’t win, but I really wanted to win together once.”
Kim Kang-min (40, SSG Landers), who became the MVP of the Korean Series, told reporters after winning the 6th game of the 2022 KBO League Korean Series (4-best system) at SG Landers Field in Incheon on the 8th, citing the reason why he shed tears after winning the title.
Kim Kang-min and Choo Shin-soo (40) are best friends of the same age. The two won the gold medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games with the Taegeuk mark on their neck. After meeting at S.G. Landers, he shared a seat next to the locker room and played the season together. Even after hitting a miraculous walk-off home run the previous day, he delayed hugging his friend Choo Shin-soo after confirming his victory, saying, “It’s not over yet.”
MVP Kim Kangmin said, “(Choo Shin-soo) has no regrets even if he keeps dying.” “I told him not to die,” he said. “I also told him to join me next year.” Kim Kang-min, who set the record for the oldest home run in Game 1, said, “It’s a record that Choo Shin-soo will break anyway.” He hit another home run in six days and didn’t give up the record, but thanks to that home run, he was able to present the championship to his friend.
In this series, Kim Kang-min was selected as the best player in the series with 42 votes out of 77 votes by reporters, scoring an equalizer in Game 1 and a walk-off reversal in Game 5. 40 years old, 1 month, 26 days. He is the oldest player in the Korean Series.