“I think the heavens helped me.”
Hwang Sung-bin (Lotte Giants), the “Demon King” who heated up the All-Star Game with his various performances, smiles broadly. His first All-Star Game was a “great success,” as he put on a variety of events for the fans and even won the Performance Award.
Hwang Sung-bin participated as a Dream All-Star in the 2024 Shinhan Solar Bank KBO All-Star Game at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on June 6.
This is the first time he has participated in an All-Star Game since turning pro in 2020.
In fact, he almost didn’t make it to the ‘Festival of Stars’ because he was ranked fourth in the outfield in the voting, but the opportunity came when Guillermo Heredia (SSG Landers), who was originally selected as an All-Star, was injured.
Hwang Sung-bin, who is always full of energy, prepared for his first All-Star Game. Despite being on the last train to the All-Star Game and not having a lot of time to prepare, Hwang put his mind to work to give the fans something to watch.
His entrance was unique.
In the bottom of the third inning, he rode a scooter to his first at-bat, wearing a helmet with the words ‘Demon of Delivery’ on it. It was an outfit that showed his determination to deliver hits.
After hitting an infield single against NAVER All-Star Kim Young-kyu (NC Dinos), he quickly ran to first base and unfolded a note that read ‘Delivery Complete’, which brought another big smile to his face.
Then, at first base, he performed the “provocation” gesture that made headlines earlier in the season. Kim Young-kyu and catcher Park Dong-won (LG Twins) couldn’t help but laugh as he made an exaggerated gesture that looked like he was about to go to second base.
Hwang also made his presence felt on the team’s defense.
When teammate Park Se-woong (Lotte) gestured from the mound, Hwang reappeared with the “iron bag.” He took out a rosin from the bag labeled “express delivery” and delivered it to Park.
He then took out some bills as if he was going to hand over change. When Park Sewoong said that he was fine with it, he thanked him for the gift.
The Best Performance Award, which is determined by fan votes, went to Hwang Sung Bin. He received an overwhelming 51% (974,447 votes). He also took home a prize of 3 million won.
“I actually wanted to be funny, and I think the fans had a lot of expectations, so I prepared really hard despite the lack of season,” he laughed.
Most of all, she is thrilled to be able to showcase everything she has prepared. Recalling his ‘taunt’ at first base, he said, “The heavens helped me. There had to be no runners on base, I had to get on base, and there had to be a left-handed pitcher,” he said, adding that he was happy with the scenario that worked out.
“I thanked (first baseman) Austin (LG Twins), who didn’t catch the ball. I was like, ‘When you hit it, you have to live,'” he said.
Heading into the All-Star Game, he was wary of one candidate for the Performance Award: Kiwoom Heroes’ foreign batsman Ronnie Dawson. Dawson is an energetic player who usually performs a variety of tricks and memes during games.
“Honestly, until yesterday, I thought it was either him or me (for the performance award),” Hwang said.
But there was someone else who made him the most nervous. It was SSG Landers rookie infielder Park Ji-hwan, who showed off his fiery dance moves.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Park Ji-hwan, who led off the inning, executed an energetic choreography to 무료성인웹툰 the song “New Face” by singer Sai, earning applause from the fans. After hitting a single to center field, he danced again at first base.
“When I saw Ji-hwan dance at first, I thought, ‘This won’t be easy,’ but when I saw him dance again after the hit, I immediately went to get a drink of water,” said Hwang Sung-bin. “I wouldn’t have minded if he won the award. He was so well prepared,” he said, recognizing his ‘competitor’.
While preparing for his various performances, Hwang did not forget about Eredia, who was unfortunately unable to participate in the All-Star Game.
He wore Heredia’s jersey to the pregame ceremony and when he entered the field. He also wore it to the postgame interview with the media.
Hwang Sung-bin said, “Eredia didn’t come out due to injury. I’ve suffered from injuries myself, so I know (the feeling),” Hwang said. “I hope she recovers quickly and comes back,” he cheered.
Then he revealed his inner thoughts. “Our first series of the second half is against SSG. I hope Heredia comes back soon, but not after our game. He’s a very influential player, so I hope he recovers after the three-game series with us,” he said, drawing laughter for his honesty.