Park Byung-ho hits large homer on ‘Park Byung-ho Day’

Park Byung-ho hits large homer on ‘Park Byung-ho Day’. April. 20, 2016 07:27. by 강홍구기자 windup@donga.com. Minnesota Twins' Korean slugger Park Byung-ho had his third homer of the season in a home game against The Milwaukee Brewers of the Major League Baseball, which took place at the Minneapolis Target Field in Minnesota on Monday local time.

It was an exciting homer he celebrated "Park Byung-ho Day," which he added two days after hitting an ultra-long-distance homer with a flying distance of 140.8 meters that he garnered in the game against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

As the sixth batter and designated hitter, Park took the batter’s box as the first batter in the bottom of the fourth inning, with the score tying 3-3. He hit a 119-meter solo homer that struck the top section of the advertising board in the right-side spectators’ stand off the opponent team’s starting pitcher Chase Anderson. When Park hit the homer, the cheering song that his previous affiliation, the Nexen Heroes of the Korean pro baseball, would use, started streaming.

It is the first time that Park hit a homer through rightward pushy swing since his debut in the Major League. When he hit two previous homers, he swung on sliders, but he swung on a 90-mile fastball on the day.

After a double play and homer in the second and fourth innings, respectively, Park had a hit in the bottom of the fifth inning to post multiple hits for the first time since his big league debut. He also elevated his batting average to the .2 level (.205) for this season. The game was declared as "called game" due to rain in the top of the seventh inning. Minnesota won 7-4.

The day was designated as "Park Byung-ho Balcony Day" by Minnesota. To entertain fans who rooted for Park, his team installed "Park Byung-ho Balcony" or designated seats for cheering him on the day. Fans who were sittng in the seats were granted a cap marked with "Minnesota Twins" in Korean alphabet as a gift. The team also sold Korean beer and kimchi balls made of kimchi. Park Byung-ho Balcony, which was put in place on the second floor of the spectators’ stand around the third base area, was so popular that tickets for the section were all sold out.

Park Byung-ho also received in person the opening pitching thrown by Shin Hak-cheol, Korean American and senior vice chairman of multinational company 3M. “Many Korean Americans (living in Minnesota) came to see the game, and it would have been embarrassing if I performed poorly," Park said after the game. "It was fortunate that I performed well and our team won the game. I am so grateful to the team for giving a chance to a new face.”

Meanwhile, Kang Jung-ho (29) of the Pittsburgh Orioles played in a real game as a member of Triple A for the first time since suffering an injury in September last year. In a game against the Toledo Mud Hens, Detroit's Triple-A affiliate, Kang started as third batter and third baseman of Pittsburgh’s Triple A team, Indianapolis, posted no hit, one walk, and one run from three times at bat on the day.