▲ Kang Baek-ho cashed in on a car after his solo homer landed in the home-run zone during the May 7 game against KIA in Gwangju ⓒ Hanwha Eagles
[SPOTV News, Gwangju — Kim Tae-woo] Hanwha slugger Kang Baek-ho (27) not only delivered a lift with a long ball but also walked away with an unexpected bonus: a new car. He earned the prize by driving a pitch into the ballpark’s designated home-run zone.
Kang batted cleanup as the designated hitter at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field on May 7. With Hanwha leading 10-3 in the eighth inning, he homered off Lee Hyung-beom, sending a shot over the right-center wall for a solo homer — his sixth of the season.
The ball landed squarely in the right-center home-run zone at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field. KIA awards a vehicle to any player, home or away, who sends a ball into that zone; this year’s prize is the compact SUV Kia Seltos.
Hanwha’s offense got rolling early and the team reached double-digit runs. Kang began the night with a grounder into a double play and worked a walk in his second plate appearance. He later recorded a double and an infield single, then capped the night with the home run — finishing with three hits.
▲ Kang Baek-ho hit his sixth homer of the season on May 7 ⓒ Hanwha Eaglesn
