At that time, there were no TV broadcasts… so I couldn’t catch the ball.”
Kang In-kwon, NC Dinos coach, is mentioned by name every time the ‘perfect game’, a record that has never been released in the history of the KBO league, is broken.
On the 18th, Samsung Lions Baek Jung-hyun went on base with Edison Russell after one out in the bottom of the 8th inning against the Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes, and the perfect game was canceled. In the interview before the match between NC and LG on the following day in Jamsil, a question related to the perfect game came up
. was at the scene of the Daejeon Hanwha Eagles-OB Bears (now Doosan) game on May 23, 1997, when the KBO’s 9th no-hit no-run was written. Working with Jeong Min-cheol, one of the best pitchers in Korea at the time, as a battery, he helped the team win 8-0 and Jeong Min-cheol’s no-hit no-run.
In this game, the only run allowed by Jung Min-cheol came after one run in the top of the 8th inning. Jung Min-cheol’s perfect streak was broken when OB hitter Shim Jeong-soo stepped on first base with a strike not out after foil.
There is no “what if”, but since Jung Min-cheol pitched without a hitch until the 27th out count in the top of the ninth inning, it was possible to achieve a perfect game if there was no hit out. There was also criticism from fans full of regret towards director Kang, who wore a mask and kept his room.
However, Director Kang recalled his memories 26 years ago and laughed, saying, “There is no video because all professional baseball games are not broadcast like now. I wish there was a video.”
He also explained, “I think (the ball that was knocked out) was a ball I couldn’t get, but others seem to think I missed it. If I keep talking about it, it will be my excuse, so I’ll just admit (that it was my mistake).”
Coach Kang is in the position that he is familiar with the rare record of no hits and no runs and perfect games. On May 18, 2000, which was the 10th no-hit, no-run game in the KBO League, it was Coach Kang who worked with Song Jin-woo in the Daejeon Hanwha-Haitai Tigers (now KIA) game.
In the opening game of the regular league last year, when he was hired as the head coach, he watched right in front of his eyes as SSG Landers Wilmer Font tied the NC batting line up to the 9th inning perfectly. However, this game was not officially recognized as a perfect game as the game continued until overtime and Font kept the mound until the 9th inning.
On the 15th, against SSG Incheon,먹튀검증 I had a dizzying experience. By the 9th inning, SSG pitchers were tied up with a ‘team no hit’ and almost fell victim to the record. Fortunately, NC was able to finish the game with a smile, beating SSG 1-0 with just one hit.
Coach Kang laughed, saying, “I saw no-hit and no-runs often as a player and as a coach. I think I see them once a year.”