Veteran hitter released by KBO club

Son Ah-seop, a legendary hitter and third on the all-time hits list in Korean baseball, was released by his club, the Doosan Bears, on Monday. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) team informed him that they would not be bringing him back for the upcoming season. At 38, Son has now reached a significant milestone after an illustrious 20-year career with the KBO, during which he amassed an impressive 2,655 hits.

Currently, Son finds himself in third place on the career hits list, trailing Choi Hyoung-woo of the Samsung Lions, who has an impressive 2,734 hits, and Kim Hyun-soo of the KT Wiz, who boasts 2,691 hits. Notably, Son's record surpasses former LG Twins player Park Yong-taik, who held the previous record with 2,504 hits, marking a new era in Korean baseball history.

Though Son remained the career leader in hits entering the 2024 season, he was surpassed by Choi in May and Kim in August. Despite remaining competitive in his early 40s and late 30s, Son has struggled in recent years, having won his first batting title in 2023 before experiencing a decline in performance. Son's professional journey began with the Lotte Giants from 2007 to 2021, before he joined the NC Dinos as a free agent.