Seoul: Former MVP-winning slugger Park Byung-ho was celebrated in an emotional retirement ceremony Sunday, held by the club where he achieved significant success. Park, one of the prominent power hitters in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history, quietly transitioned into a minor league coaching position with the Kiwoom Heroes after announcing his retirement in November last year.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Heroes organized a ceremony to commemorate Park's 17-year KBO career at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, before a game against the Samsung Lions, one of four clubs Park played for. Park was added to the Heroes' roster as an extra player for the day's game and made a brief appearance at first base in the top of the first inning before being replaced.

During a press conference before the ceremony, Park expressed satisfaction with the Heroes being his final team, highlighting the significance of the arrangement. Drafted by the LG Twins in 2004, Park's career truly took off after a trade to the Heroes in 2011, where he became a leading slugger.

Park won his first MVP award in 2012, leading the league with 31 home runs and 105 RBIs, and again in 2013 with 37 home runs and 117 RBIs. In 2014, Park hit 52 home runs, making him the third player in KBO history to achieve over 50 home runs in a season, which he followed with a 53-home run season, becoming the only player to accomplish back-to-back 50-home run campaigns.

From 2012 to 2015, Park led the KBO in home runs for four consecutive seasons, setting a league record. He topped the league in home runs a record six times and spent two seasons with the Minnesota Twins and their Triple-A affiliate in Rochester, New York, from 2016 to 2017. Park concluded his career with 418 home runs, ranking fourth in KBO history.

At the pre-ceremony press event, Park admitted to being preoccupied with coaching but grew more excited as the ceremony approached. He expressed gratitude to the Heroes for rejuvenating his career and shared his ambition to develop young players as a coach.

Park mentioned that his coaching journey is still in its early stages and he has not yet considered becoming a manager. He emphasized his passion for working with young players and shared insights gained from his time in the United States, focusing on communication and accessibility for players.

During the ceremony, Park's son threw out the ceremonial first pitch while Park stepped into the batter's box, and Park also expressed gratitude to the Lions for their support in his career's final years.