The moment the NC Dinos qualified for the playoffs. Owner Kim Taek-jin raised his arms and cheered.
NC won the third game of the semifinals against SSG Landers 7-6 at NC Park in Changwon on April 25. It was not an easy victory. NC scored three runs in the first inning, but hit a bump in the road in the top of the second inning when Choi Jung gave up a leadoff home run. However, the bullpen was able to hold onto the one-run lead until the end. After finishing the regular season in fourth place and playing in the wild card game, they were without their ‘ace’ Eric Peddy. It was a moment when NC overcame the odds to make a dramatic playoff run.굿모닝토토
At that moment, there was a familiar face. It was NC owner Kim Taek-jin.
In the top of the ninth inning, when Lee Yong-chan struck out SSG’s last batter, Kim Sung-hyun, on a swinging strikeout, NC owner Kim Taek-jin could be seen on the broadcast screen raising his arms in the air, smiling and cheering. He was wearing an NC hat and an NC jumper.
On this day, only a few NC team officials were aware of the owner’s visit, but they could not hide the joy of advancing to the playoffs.
Kim Taek-jin’s love for baseball is already well known. He loves the game so much that he has been actively involved in the organization since its inception, and even performed the “executioner’s sword ceremony” with the players when the Dinos won their first unified championship in 2020. During this year’s regular season, he reportedly made several quiet visits to the ballpark to watch games and then quietly left.