It’s Game 1 of the World Series on April 28th. It’s the bottom of the ninth inning, and the score is 3-5 in favor of the Rangers. On top of that, the visiting D-backs’ closer, Paul Seawald, has been unstoppable this postseason. From the Wild Card to the Championship Series, he was perfect in eight games (eight scoreless innings).
But something happens in the first inning. “One swing and it could be a tie game,” the announcer says. The batter takes the first pitch like a thunderbolt. The ball soared and disappeared into the right field bleachers. It was a dramatic two-run home run that tied the game at 5-5.
Globe Life Field erupts in a thunderous roar of over 40,000 fans. The hero who saved his team from certain defeat strolls around the bases. It’s shortstop Corey Seager, batting second. The life-extending dream was realized, and the Rangers eventually took game one on a walk-off home run by Adolis Garcia in the 11th inning.굿모닝토토
He also hit the decisive blow in Game 3. In the top of the third, the Rangers attacked. With two outs, Marcus Simeon singled to break the 0-0 tie. Two on, one out. Seager’s powerful swing exploded once again. It was a two-run shot to make it 3-0 (final score 3-1). The ball traveled a whopping 114.5 miles per hour (184 kilometers per hour). It was the fastest in the postseason since 2015.
In Game 4, Texas struck first. In the top of the second inning, they scored three runs to take a 3-0 lead. Two batters later, Seager was back at the plate again. This time, he took a two-pitch slider and dropped it near Chase Field’s famous swimming pool. It was a moment that sent D-backs fans into despair. It was his third home run of the series (final score 11-7).
There’s an unusual keyword in this fall classic. It’s “sookwon” (宿願). It’s a word common to all three leagues. The Texas Rangers won their first World Series title 62 years after their founding. In NPB, the Hanshin Tigers won their first Nippon Series title in 38 years. All that’s left is the LG Twins. The question is whether they can fulfill their dream after 29 years.
So far, they are cruising. They lead the series 3-1. It’s more of a World Series scenario than the Japan Series, which went back-and-forth until Game 7. The games have been similarly dramatic, with long balls exploding at crucial moments.
There’s a particularly overlapping cast of characters. They are the big shortstops Corey Seager (29) and Oh Ji-Hwan (33). For Texas, Seager’s play has been stellar. He anchored the offense throughout the series. Of course, his devastating KO punch was the highlight. In five games, he hit three crucial home runs. He went 6-for-21 with a .286 batting average, a .375 on-base percentage, and a 1.137 OPS.
Oh is similar. No, he’s better so far. They have the same number of home runs (three). But the rest of his numbers are better. In four games, he went 6-for-15 with four doubles. Four of those six hits are long balls. His slugging percentage is over .500 and his OPS is a whopping 1.567.
Most importantly, he was the star of the Game 3 drama. The Twins were down 5-7 in the bottom of the eighth inning and were in critical condition. The game went to the top of the ninth inning with one out and the bases loaded. One swing from Oh changed everything. It was a dramatic come-from-behind three-run shot. Along with Park Dong-won’s home run in Game 2, it was the decisive blow that changed the course of the series.
Corey Seager was named World Series MVP after leading Texas to its first championship. It’s his second, including one with the Dodgers in 2020. He joins Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Reggie Jackson. All three are Hall of Famers. Seeger is the first player to win the award in both leagues with different teams.
In the Korean Series, Oh Ji-hwan and Park Dong-won have been the standout performers so far. Both have hit dramatic home runs, which is impressive. In Oh’s case, there are some premiums at play. He’s a franchise star, he’s had an eventful career, and he’s now leading the team as captain.
What excites LG fans is the parallel theory. Like the MLB and NPB, the KBO is about to fulfill a long-held desire. Perhaps an extension of that is the hope that Oh will rise to the top like Corey Seager.