All-time Best Home Run-Games in Playoffs

The first round of the playoffs that ended on October 9 was a home run-studded series with nine homers in two games. The Doosan Bears’ seven home runs gave them an edge over the Kia Tigers’ two. Doosan’s Hong Sung-heun hit a grand slam in the 12th inning in game 2 and Izzy Alcantara and Ahn Kyung-hyun each recorded three homers in the series. Sohn Ji-hwan homered twice for the Tigers.

Home runs are undisputedly the most exciting part of baseball games. Dong-a Ilbo selected the three most exciting postseason games of all time of which the results were determined by homeruns. Interestingly enough, all three involve the Samsung Lions, which also made it to the playoffs.

The first Mr. October, Yoo Doo-yeol-

The Lotte Giants’ Yoo Doo-yeol was having a hard time in the first six games of the 1984 Korean Series against the Samsung Lions. He had a batting average of .059 with just one hit in 17 at-bats during the series. However, in game 7 at Jamsil Stadium, Yoo hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning when Lotte was down 3-4 and handed Lotte the championship title. With that one dramatic home run, Yoo was named the MVP, surpassing pitcher Choi Dong-won, who amassed all four wins during the series.

Another Game between Lotte and Samsung-

Lotte was on the verge of being eliminated in the 1999 playoffs, trailing one to three in the series. In game 5, Felix Jose’s home run saved the team, and the series was taken to the decisive game 7. Lotte was down 0-2 in the game, but Jose’s solo home run set the tone for Lotte’s chase in the sixth inning. Daegu Stadium was virtually in chaos after frustrated Samsung fans threw garbage onto the field, and Jose, furious after being hit in the forehead by an egg thrown by the audience, threw his bat to the stands. Not emotionally shaken by a series of unexpected events, Lotte’s Ma Hae-young hit a game-tying home run. In the ninth inning, Lotte was again trailing 3-5, but then-Lotte catcher Lim Soo-hyuk, now in coma, hit a game-tying two-run home run. Lotte went on to win the game and the series in overtime.

Samsung Becomes Champion for First Time in 23 Years-

In game 6 of the Korean Series in 2002, though Samsung was leading the series 3-2 over the LG Twins, LG was leading the game 9-6 before going into the bottom of the ninth. But Samsung’s Lee Seung-yeop tied the game with his three-run homer, and Ma Hae-young homered right afterwards. Both winners and losers were left speechless for a while at such a dramatic ending of the game.

Hwan Soo Zang zangpabo@donga.com