After the game between the Kiwoom Heroes and the LG Twins of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on April 1, most fans and players left the field.
LG Austin was the last to leave, gathering his equipment. He was carrying two bats, a helmet, and a glove with both hands, but suddenly he stopped and looked at the crowd.
A young LG Twins fan, Elin, had stayed behind to cheer him on, calling his name. When Austin spotted her, he stopped, approached her, and gave her the bat in his left hand. The height of the field and the center field bleachers made it difficult for the young fan to reach the bat, so Austin ran to the dugout, grabbed a chair, stepped on it, and presented the bat. The young fan’s face lit up with a smile and he said “thank you” over and over again. Austin waved to the young fan as he left the field.
Austin gave a young fan more than just a bat, he gave her a lifetime of memories that she’ll be able to recount as she grows up, gets married, and brings her kids to the ballpark to cheer on LG.
Meanwhile, Austin, the “filial piety foreigner,” has erased LG’s black history of foreign players. As of September 9, he is batting .297 (105-for-354) with 13 home runs, 66 RBIs, an OPS of 0.826 and a WAR of 3.28, all from the No. 4 spot.
At this rate, he could become the first LG player to win the batting title. There are two titles in KBO history that no LG player has ever won: home run leader and RBI leader. Austin is currently tied for the RBI lead with Hanwha’s Noh Si-hwan, so he has a good shot at the title.안전놀이터
Before the season, LG originally signed Almonte, not Austin. However, the team unexpectedly found a problem with the medical test and canceled Almonte’s contract, which led to the late signing of Austin. It was a twist of fate, but LG’s signing of Austin was a stroke of genius.
Austin has been a huge boost for LG as the team has taken the lead and is on its way to the championship.