JANG JONG-HOON AND LIM HEON-RIN, "GOODBYE HANBAT BASEBALL STADIUM, SEE YOU AGAIN IN THE ARMS OF CITIZENS."

Jang Jong-hoon and Lim Heon-rin, "Goodbye Hanbat Baseball Stadium, See You Again in the arms of citizens."

Jang Jong-hoon and Lim Heon-rin, "Goodbye Hanbat Baseball Stadium, See You Again in the arms of citizens."

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Next year, the Hanwha Eagles will move its home stadium to Daejeon Baseball Dream Park (Daejong-ro, Jung-gu). What will happen to Daejeon Hanwha Life Insurance Eagles Park, which used to be the Eagles' home stadium until this year? First of all, the name of the Eagles Park will be changed with the termination of the contract between the Eagles and the Daejeon City Government. A plan to utilize the stadium, located right next to the new stadium, has not been decided yet.스포츠토토

Originally named as "Hanbat Baseball Stadium," Eagles Park refers to Daejeon. Completed in 1964 and having been used for 61 years, the site is the history of Daejeon baseball itself. It is also a legacy of the Binggrae Eagles (currently the Hanwha Eagles), founded in 1986, which accumulated 38 years of records and memories.

The Hanbat Baseball Stadium will return to Daejeon City Stadium instead of a professional baseball stadium. Some people regret saying goodbye to the old stadium, which could draw little attention from baseball fans. They are Jang Jong-hoon (56), a one-club man who dedicated his youth to the Eagles, and Lim Heon-rin (51), a manager of the Eagles.

Coach Jang Jong-hoon was a home run hitter representing the 1990s. As the home run and RBI king for the third consecutive year (90s – 1992) and the MVP of the regular season for the second consecutive year (91-92), he was the detonator of the dynamite lineup. Once, he was the biggest star in the field.

Lim Hun-lin, the "forever Hanwha Man," is a veteran who has experienced most of the team's work, including operation, marketing and public relations. In particular, he is a specialist in the public relations community who served as a team leader at a time when Kim In-sik, Kim Eung-yong and Kim Sung-geun, who are called the "three Kims" of professional baseball, took the helm of the Eagles.

As Eagles players and employees, the two cried, laughed, loved, and loved each other at Hanbat Baseball Stadium. "I hope that Hanbat Baseball Stadium, which has more than 60 years of history, will be reborn as a sports facility and cultural space for Daejeon citizens," Lim said.

'Romantic Ballpark' with beautiful Platanus

On their way to the Hanbat Baseball Stadium to have an interview with the two, about four to five young baseball fans recognized Jang and ran to him to ask for his autograph. When this reporter said that Jang remains popular, he said, "Fans recognize me because I am in front of the baseball stadium. No one else recognizes me. Haha."

Even a young man who once dominated professional baseball could not beat his time. If he passes by as an elder player, many fans would not be able to recognize him. However, it is different in front of a field baseball stadium. Because a special space carries the magic that goes back a long time. Perhaps this is why fans think of Jang Jong-hoon, who turned 50 years old, as a young player 30 years ago.

Coach Jang Jong-hoon, a native of Sebojeon Hall in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, said, "It couldn't be that good to play baseball at a field baseball stadium during the competition. I remember a lot of fans coming to the audience without a roof under the scorching sun. Local fans' love of baseball was great then and now," and added, "The platanus tree outside the wall was the symbol of the field baseball stadium. It was really cool and romantic, but the problem was that Songchung was full of trees in the summer. The outfield was also infested with pine and king ants."
Coach Jang Jong-hoon had a bullet-like line drive when he was a player. His batting power transcended the field fence, the stands, and the Platanus showed great power. "There was a time when I thought it was a home run only when I crossed the Platanus, not the outdoor fence," Jang said. "Of course, I didn't swing with the intention of hitting a home run. If you hit a ball well, you have to go that far."

"When I was defending from the field, I felt like the batter was above my eyes. It was a sloping field," coach Jang Jong-hoon said. "It was a time when the concept of movement of players was vague. I went to work and left work with spectators. Since there were no locker room and restaurant, I changed on the bus and ate with fans at Gongwoon (public stadium) restaurant."

They both said that baseball was good under poor circumstances. Established in 1986, the Eagles has rapidly grown into a strong team against the Haitai Tigers, the absolute dynasty. Although the Eagles came close to winning the title four times (88, 89, 91, 1992) times, they became the champion of the Korean Series in 1999. "It was an honor to be a part of that team," coach Jang Jong-hoon recalled.

Lim Hun-lin, who often visited Hanbat Baseball Stadium after playing "Ddang" at an academy, said, "I dreamed of working for the baseball team when I saw Eagles players in the 1990s who became legends. I am also honored to be with them."

"Legacy" with dreams, hopes, and memories

As is well known, Coach Jang Jong-hoon wrote "the legend of a trainee." After failing to enter college after graduating from high school, he joined the team as a trainee in 1986. The slender shortstop never played in the first division game that year.

The 1987 season, when he said he would quit after just one year, changed his life. "I hit eight home runs mostly as the seventh batter. As I was in the lower batting order, I focused on catching the bat short and hitting the ball "tickly." "At that time, eight home runs (15th in the league) in 95 games were not that small," coach Ko Won-bu said. "After the season, he advised me to hold the bat long and try full swing. Really? I thought I should give it a try." This is why Jang Jong-hoon, the king of home runs, was born.

My dream was to grow up in a field of baseball was to cross the Korean Strait. Back then, the Eagles also worked hard to exchange with Japanese baseball. Coach Jang Jong-hoon said, "I went to Japan for autumn camp in 1989 and played with the Daiei Hawks. The Japanese coach and coach liked my swing a lot. He called Japanese hitters and told them to watch their batting. He told me, "I can get 200 strikeouts next year, so aim for 40 home runs." This gave me tremendous confidence.

Jang Jong-hoon, who has a dream, became the first home run king (28) the following year.

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