Baseball 'stars' appeared at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, where the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) opening game in the United States was held. Even celebrities visited the stadium for congratulatory performances and to watch the game.
On the 20th, at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, during the opening game of the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, LA Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani is hitting a ground ball. [Photo by Yonhap News]
On the 20th, the MLB opening game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres featured the 'Dodgers MVP Trio'?Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman?each of whom has won the MLB Most Valuable Player (MVP) award at least once, along with San Diego stars Kim Ha-seong, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Xander Bogaerts.
In addition to active players, 'legends' who excite Korean baseball fans were also seen. Park Chan-ho, Korea's first major leaguer and special advisor for San Diego, walked to the mound amid great cheers to throw the ceremonial first pitch. Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha Eagles), known as the 'best Korean pitcher of the 21st century' and the first player to move directly from the KBO League to the Major Leagues, visited the Dodgers' dugout and reunited with manager Dave Roberts.
Legendary Japanese pitchers who were once called 'icons of Japanese baseball'?Daisuke Matsuzaka, Koji Uehara, and Kyuji Fujikawa?also visited Gocheok Dome to enjoy the MLB opening game. All three pitchers have played in both Nippon Professional Baseball and MLB.
Singing the National Anthems of Both Countries at the MLB Opening Game by Park Jeong-hyun Photo by Yonhap News
Celebrities also attracted attention. Girl group aespa, who made headlines last year by throwing the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium in New York, energized the crowd with a pre-game performance. Singer Park Jung-hyun sang the national anthems of the United States and Korea in sequence.
Cha Eun-woo, Ok Taec-yeon, Hwang Jae-gyun (kt wiz), the couple T-ara's Jiyeon, and former national baseball team manager Kim Kyung-moon also attended the MLB opening game.
Former Japanese basketball player Tanaka Mamiko, who gained attention for marrying Ohtani, cheered for her husband from the stands.
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