The 22-year-old outfielder for the Lotte Giants, Yoon Dong-hee, became the first player to hit over the 8-meter monster wall on the right side of Daejeon Shin Park. It was particularly meaningful as it was his first home run of the season.

On the 2nd, Yoon Dong-hee started as the sixth batter in center field in the away game against Hanwha at Daejeon Hanwha Life Baseball Park, where he hit a solo home run over the right field in his first at-bat in the second inning.

He attacked the fastball of Hanwha's starter, Moon Dong-ju. With a ball count of 3 balls and 1 strike, he pushed a 150 km/h fastball that came in on the fifth pitch to the outside, easily clearing the 8-meter high monster wall on the right side. It landed on the second level of the two-tier bullpen behind the monster wall.

A typical BARREL hit flew at an angle of 28 degrees and a speed of 163 km/h, clearing the monster wall. The distance was 115 meters.

One of the biggest features of the Daejeon Hanwha Life Baseball Park, which opened this year, is the 8-meter tall and 32-meter wide monster wall on the right side. It has a formidable height that reminds one of the Green Monster (11 meters) at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, making it difficult for left-handed batters to hit home runs. It is even harder for right-handed batters to push one over.

During the opening series against KIA from the 28th to the 30th of last month, a total of 5 home runs were hit, but none cleared the monster wall. There were 3 home runs to left field (2 by KIA's Patrick Wisdom and 1 by Hanwha's Kim Tae-yeon), 1 to left center (1 by Wisdom), and 1 to right center (by KIA's Choi Hyung-woo). There were no hits even leading to the monster wall, leaving curiosity about it unresolved.

However, on this day, Yoon Dong-hee became the owner of the first home run over the monster wall, proving that the pre-game comment by Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung, "It's high, but everyone who can hit will hit it," was not wrong. Nevertheless, it would have been difficult to predict that a right-handed batter would clear it.

For Yoon Dong-hee personally, it was significant as it was his first home run of the season, happening after a not-so-great start with a batting average of .136 (3 hits in 22 at-bats) with no home runs or RBIs in the first 8 games. It could be the turning point that breaks his early silence.

After the game, Yoon Dong-hee said, "I didn’t expect to hit a home run because their starter Moon Dong-ju is a good pitcher, but I got lucky and hit a fastball at a good timing. I will carry this positive energy into the next game," adding, "I feel refreshed being able to bring the first victory of April at Daejeon Shin Park. I will ensure we maintain our lineup's focus and the good atmosphere of the pitching staff so that we can bring home a victory tomorrow as well."

In closing, Yoon Dong-hee expressed his deep condolences to the victims of the Changwon NC Park incident, praying for the repose of the deceased who tragically passed away.

[OSEN]