KIA's 35-year-old first baseman is thrilled...not a starring role, but 'alive'

"Seo Gun-chang hits for KIA, Seo Gun-chang hits for KIA, whoa, whoa, whoa."

The Kia Tigers reintroduced Seo Gun-chang this year, bringing back the cheer they used in the old Kiwoom Heroes team after consulting with Kiwoom. According to a KIA official on the 31st, the current cheerleader is attached to the song because he created it himself when he was the head of the Nexen cheerleading squad.

This wasn't Seo's cheer during his time with the LG Twins. This year, Seo joined the KIA and has been batting to his old cheer, and his bat seems to have regained the sharpness of his Nexen days. He started at first base in the No. 7 spot against the Jamsil Doosan Bears and went 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs, three runs scored, one walk, and one stolen base.

He's starting to hit like his old self. He is playing baseball in a good atmosphere, in a team and environment that he wants to be in, after the slump at the end of his upbringing and in the LG. And listening to the old cheers again, I feel alive.

Seo Gun-chang is no longer the star of the show as he was in 2014 when he was the 201-hit MVP. Kia has the deepest roster in the 10-team league. He can't play every day, and even when he does, there's no guarantee he'll start. Seo Gun-chang has only started at first base twice since the opening day, including today. He won't get many chances to play first base once Na Sung-beom returns and Lee Woo-sung comes in. Instead, he'll be more likely to play second base as a backup to Kim Sun-bin.

After the game, Seo said, "It felt good to play baseball in this stadium full of KIA fans, the weather was nice, and it was great to hear the 스포츠토토 old chants. It's been a long time. In the past, I just left it up to the club to do their own thing, but hearing the old cheers again reminds me of playing baseball in the past and gives me a feeling."

Kia is one of those teams. Lee Bum-ho's biggest pet peeve is 'don't stop, don't rest'. He hates being watched the most. Seo doesn't care, and he plays baseball with a relaxed, old-fashioned feel. Naturally, the coaching staff didn't put any pressure on him.

"KIA is a consistent team. They have a bright atmosphere. They don't put pressure on you when you fail. The coach creates that atmosphere. When I pass by, he says, 'Fighting,' and I can feel my heart in those three words." In such a team, Seo hopes to contribute to Kia's good performance by doing his part.

"I just do what I do. I try to focus on what I can do," he said. Happy baseball.