‘Top Gun’ and ‘Cowboy’, who have been enthusiastic baseball fans in Busan, met again, but the atmosphere was different this time.
The KBO All-Star Game was held at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 15th. It was a feast for the eyes, starting with ‘Newzine’ Koo Ja-rook (Samsung), coloring up with ‘Jenny’ Kim Min-seok (Lotte), and ending with ‘MVP’ Chae Eun-sung (Hanwha).
But it was David Buchanan (Samsung) who seemed to enjoy the atmosphere the most. At every opportunity, he stole the spotlight with his spectacular performances. He danced to Pirella’s cheer and battled with Austin Dean (LG) for Newzine’s “Hype Boy” dance battle. Even during the intermission, he interacted with fans with a spectacular leg-splitting dance.
He also shined on the field. In addition to serving as the third base coach and instructing players to run aggressively, he played right field in the eighth inning in place of Kim Hyun-joon (Samsung) and handled a deep fly ball himself. In the bottom of the ninth inning, he took the bat himself and hit a single to center field against the KBO’s top closer, Ko Woo-seok (LG), stunning teammate Kang Min-ho and other players. It was his first hit in four years in the KBO, and he received a commemorative ball.
He didn’t get to take the mound as he had pitched a complete game two days earlier, but it was a fun and unique way to celebrate the All-Star Game. For once, Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) was a “three-hitter” who didn’t envy him.
His dignity was also impressive.
The ROK Navy’s Jinhae Base Command Color Guard performed during cleanup. The KBO also invited veterans and naval officers to the All-Star Game to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War on April 27.
It was Buchanan who drew the most attention. Dressed in a pilot’s outfit like Top Gun, Buchanan stood in front of the Nanum All-Star dugout alongside Austin, who wore a cowboy hat. The reunion of the 안전놀이터추천 “Howie Boy” duo drew attention and applause from the crowd.
But Buchanan remained reverent. He simply clapped several times in time with the dais. An overhead sign on the field announced that Major League Baseball’s “Last Four Hitters” Ted Williams had been named a War Hero in July. Williams, who served as a flight instructor in World War II, was recalled when the Korean War broke out and fought as an airplane pilot.
“My great-grandfather, grandfather, and father served in the Navy,” Buchanan said after the game, explaining the reason for the special tribute.
“I didn’t really plan (the pilot costume) for this event, but God gave me the opportunity at the right time,” he explained.
Despite not winning MVP or a performance award, Buchanan was in good spirits: “I love to dance,” he says, “and I love to interact with the fans. It was especially nice to be able to interact with the fans. I just enjoyed the atmosphere today. I have good memories,” he smiled.
Buchanan played for the Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) from 2017-2019, totaling 138 at-bats. He’s just 1-for-12 (117 at-bats) with three home runs and four strikeouts, but he has three doubles. 1 triple.