Asked to steal a base, he stole an actual third base. Doosan Bears outfielder Cho Su-hyun was the subject of a bizarre base stealing incident.
On August 25, Doosan won 10-1 against the SSG Landers in Jamsil. With the win, Doosan extended its winning streak to four games and remained in 스포츠토토 fifth place in the league with a season record of 54 wins, one loss and 51 ties. The gap between them and the fourth-place NC Dinos remained at 0.5 games.
The most embarrassing moment for Cho came in the bottom of the third inning. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the third inning, Cho hit a grounder in front of the shortstop and advanced to first base with one out. The next batter, Kim Tae-geun, was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Cho then tried to steal third base on a wild pitch. Thanks to the timing of the opposing starting pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun’s pitches, Cho appeared to be safe at third base.
However, something unexpected happened in this situation. As Cho slid into third base and touched the base, the third base was pulled out of the ground. With a panicked look on his face, Cho held on to the third base. Choi Jung, the third baseman who caught the ball, tagged him. The third base umpire ruled the play safe.
Cho Su-haeng, who was able to slide into third base, scored another run when Kim Tae-geun singled to left field.
After taking control of the game early, Doosan went on to win 10-1 with a five-run big inning in the bottom of the fourth and an eight-inning no-hitter by starter Kwak Bin.
Regarding Cho’s scene of becoming a real base stealer(?), the on-field umpire said, “Even if a base is unintentionally stolen, if the umpire determines that it is safe, the runner is not out even if the fielder tags him. The runner must remain standing near the base. This is clearly stated in the Baseball Rules.”
When we met up with Cho after the game, he was equally as excited about the scene. “I was sliding to third base and suddenly the base was lifted and I was picked off, so I was very embarrassed. It was my first experience in baseball, so I panicked and held on to the base (laughs). I immediately called for time because I was afraid I would be called out. I didn’t expect to actually steal the base,” he smiled.
Cho also helped out Kwak Bin on the day by catching a well-hit ball from Jeon Eui-san in center field. “I thought it was a hit the moment it hit, but I ran as hard as I could just in case. I thought I could catch it if I ran full speed, so I stretched out my glove and was surprised when the ball came in. I’m glad I could help (Kwak) Binyi a little bit,” he said.
Cho has been filling in for star center fielder Jung Soo-bin, who has been sidelined with an injury of late. Since the midweek series, he’s been hitting better and better.
Cho said, “I’m glad that my hitting is improving even in the second half of the season. I should have shown the role I should have played from the beginning of the season, but I was disappointed that I didn’t. I will continue to focus on each inning and each at-bat to maximize my abilities,” Cho said.