INCHEON — In an unfortunate incident during Wednesday's Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) game, Kia Tigers pitcher Wil Crowe expressed regret after his pitch struck SSG Landers' Choi Jeong, who was pursuing a career home run record.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Crowe's two-seam fastball veered off course in the first inning at Incheon SSG Landers Field, hitting Choi and causing him immediate pain. The hit led to Choi suffering a hairline fracture in his left rib, an injury that may sideline him for several weeks. Crowe removed his cap and bowed to Choi in a gesture of apology, which Choi acknowledged before he was substituted for a pinch runner.
Crowe, who managed to pitch five shutout innings leading the Tigers to an 11-3 victory, reiterated his apologies after the game. “I want to say I'm sorry to him and to the fans. It was never my intention to interfere with his record attempt,” Crowe stated. He explained that while his strategy involved pitching inside to the strong hitter, the unfortunate pitch was not intentional.
Choi, who has been hit by pitches 330 times over his career — a KBO record — was tied for the all-time home run lead with 467 homers at the start of the day. Crowe’s performance remained strong despite the incident, as he threw 48 strikes out of 78 pitches and recorded three strikeouts.
Crowe also touched on his recent performance improvements and his cautious approach to his health after experiencing forearm tightness, emphasizing the importance of not risking further injury in a long season expected to include over 30 starts.