Kiwoom Heroes outfielder Lee Hyung-jong (37) laughed off the incident related to a heartwarming story with An Woo-jin (27).
Kiwoom ace An Woo-jin returned successfully this season from Tommy John surgery (elbow ligament reconstruction) and shoulder surgery. Gradually increasing his innings starting from one inning, An Woo-jin pitched 3 innings, allowed 2 hits, 1 walk, struck out 6 and gave up 1 run in the game against Samsung on the 24th. His season record stands at 3 games (6 innings) 1 loss with an earned run average of 3.00.
However, recently a broadcaster made an error in a YouTube video that released an interview with An Woo-jin, showing footage of Yang Hyun-jong (KIA) when mentioning Lee Hyung-jong. An Woo-jin said, "(Lee) Hyung-jong hyung helped me a lot," but the broadcaster mistook Lee Hyung-jong for Yang Hyun-jong.
Lee Hyung-jong smiled and said in a pregame interview before the Lotte Giants game at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 30th of last month during the 2026 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League, "It's a shame because this could have helped (An) Woo-jin gain a good older-brother image. (Yang) Hyun-jong hyung is more famous and a pitcher, so maybe that's why the mistake happened."
Lee Hyung-jong, who said, "I don't think I did anything special," said, "When Woojin was having a hard time, he came to my room once and we talked for one to two hours. I have friends I like such as Woojin and (Jang) Jae-young, and although I didn't do anything special, they seem to feel comfortable with me. One day he suddenly came to talk, out of the blue."
Lee Hyung-jong laughed, saying, "I can't say what we talked about," and said, "We talked about baseball and just about life. Woojin was sick and went through difficult times, so we talked a lot. I'm grateful that Woojin came to see me first. In a way, as you become a senior and get older you become more lonely, so when a junior 10 years younger comes to talk like this, it makes me feel that I'm living well in my own way."
Playing an important veteran role on a Kiwoom team led by young players, Lee Hyung-jong said, "There are many players newly promoted to our team. Now I also feel the responsibility to support those players. Rather than being impatient and thinking I have to play, I think it's time for me to help those players when they're doing well and when they're not," showing his concern for the younger players.
Lee Hyung-jong laughed, saying, "There are really a lot of cute kids," and said, "When I was young, if I was out while doing base running, I really wanted a bulldozer to bury me. When young players make such mistakes, I wonder if they had the same thoughts as me, and if I see players looking down, I tell them it's okay and encourage them that everyone makes mistakes while playing baseball."
Lee Hyung-jong expressed gratitude to An Woo-jin, saying, "I'm thankful to Woojin. It feels good that a great player spoke about me. Among the players I've seen, Woojin is the most passionate about baseball. He went through injuries and many other things. It couldn't have been easy to overcome, but he came back well. I told Woojin many things, saying that even if it's hard now, good times will come again someday," conveying his appreciation to An Woo-jin.
Lee Hyung-jong, who is in the final season of a four-year, 2 billion won contract with Kiwoom, is hitting .175 (7 hits in 40 at-bats) with 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 6 runs and 1 stolen base in 20 games, posting an OPS of .658. He showed many impressive moments early in the season, including a pinch-hit grand slam, but his playing opportunities have been greatly reduced as his hitting pace declined.
Saying, "What I told An Woo-jin is, in a way, something I could tell myself," Lee Hyung-jong said, "I'm worried because things are so hard now and results aren't coming. But you have to show it. If you can't overcome it, you're not a pro. I've only just passed 20 games and the season is still long. I'm trying not to think of it as the last year. I want to play baseball while enjoying it," he said, pledging his determination for the rest of the season.
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