Former professional baseball player Park Yong-taek shared his sense of responsibility and honest feelings as a franchise star of the LG Twins and the captain of "Fire Baseball."
On the 14th, Park Yong-taek appeared on the YouTube channel "Jeong Geun-woo's Baseball Life" and spoke about his role as captain in the current "Fire Baseball," saying, "After retirement, I want to enjoy baseball without conflicts with anyone," and added, "First and foremost, it's about winning, and secondly, I hope the youth watching us can see how seriously we are playing baseball."
Throughout his playing career, Park Yong-taek was a one-club member of the LG Twins and served as captain for several seasons. He mentioned the challenges he faced as a captain, explaining, "Unlike other sports, in baseball, there isn't much that a captain has to do during the game. However, there are many responsibilities in the players' daily lives. Especially, managing the relationships between the club, coaching staff, and players requires a lot of responsibility."
After joining the team in 2002, Park Yong-taek played only for the LG Twins until his retirement in 2022, marking 19 years with the team. He is a symbolic player for the LG Twins, having received a permanent number retirement. Regarding this, Park Yong-taek said, "I felt more at home at Jamsil than at my actual home," adding, "It felt more like a family than just a team and I think the fans felt the same way." He also mentioned his close relationships with the club owners, saying, "I am close with the Gu brothers. They are very passionate about baseball," while laughing.
Park Yong-taek shared a story about contemplating a team transfer during his second free agency, saying, "LG wouldn't budge from 4 billion won, but Lotte offered a significantly higher amount, which made me waver," and added, "However, I believe my dream is to play my baseball, not just to earn a lot of money, so I declined."
On that day, Park Yong-taek shared various stories related to baseball this season, including the current situations of the teams, the atmosphere in the dugout, and the recent trade of Son Ah-seop to the Hanwha Eagles. He also comfortably recounted memories from his first year as a professional, including stories that are rarely heard.
Meanwhile, "Jeong Geun-woo's Baseball Life" is loved by fans for its various baseball-related content, including a long-form podcast with in-depth discussions, "Joodam," where honest stories are shared over drinks in a relaxed setting, and "JKW News," which reports on baseball knowledge and the current situation in professional baseball.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
