KT's 'game-winning man' Bae Jeong-dae has once again delivered a dramatic game-winning hit. At that moment, the ball just barely passed by the glove of his former teammate and friend, Shim Woo-jun (Hanwha).

On the 23rd, during a game held at Suwon KT Wiz Park, Bae Jeong-dae hit a dramatic game-winning hit in the bottom of the 11th inning with one out and runners on first and second, leading KT to victory. The ball passed just beside shortstop Shim Woo-jun. Shim Woo-jun dove but could not reach it as the ball slipped past his glove, leaving him sitting on the ground with a smirk while the KT players celebrated.

After the game, Bae Jeong-dae recalled the moment, saying, 'I felt it was a hit the moment I swung, but (Shim) Woo-jun went for a dive. From what I saw, it was really close. My heart sank.'

Indeed, Shim Woo-jun threw himself to catch the ball, but it was too fast for him to reach. Bae Jeong-dae praised his friend's defensive skills, saying, 'Woo-jun makes defense hard. It means he’s doing really well.'

Coincidentally, in the game the previous day, Shim Woo-jun had led Hanwha to victory with a game-winning hit against his former team. However, just a day later, Bae Jeong-dae hit a game-winning hit, allowing KT to successfully retaliate.

There is another reason this matchup is special. Bae Jeong-dae and Shim Woo-jun, both born in 1995, are 'KT 95s' who grew up together in KT.

The two players had different paths to their professional debuts. Bae Jeong-dae made his professional debut in 2014 with the LG Twins under the name Bae Byeong-ok. He then transferred to KT through the second draft in 2017 and established himself.

In contrast, Shim Woo-jun joined as a second-round special selection (14th overall) when KT was forming its founding members in 2014 and made his way to the first team in KT's debut season in 2015.

The two players, who have spent a long time together at KT, have now become rivals on their respective teams. In their first matchup, they exchanged one win and one loss.

Who will emerge victorious in their next encounter? The rivalry of the 'KT 95s' has just begun. 2025.03.24

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