Ah-Seop Son breaks KBO all-time hits record

The greatest hitters in baseball history have many things in common: A gorgeous swing, a keen eye at the plate and the kind of consistency that allows them to pester pitchers day in, day out, for dozens of years.

The one thing that Ah-Seop Son, the KBO's newest all-time hits leader may not share with players like Ichiro Suzuki, Ted Williams, or Oscar Charleston, though: He quit baseball twice. As reported by Yonhap News' Jee-ho Yoo, Son had actually quit the game during middle school because his parents couldn't afford the fees, and then later he left his high school team because he didn't want to practice.

Fortunately, Son returned to the sport thanks to a change of heart and the financial aid from another middle school coach, leading to Thursday night's (or Thursday morning for those in the United States) remarkable moment in Seoul: Facing Doosan Bears pitcher and former A's farmhand Raúl Alcántara in the sixth inning, Son fell behind in the count 1-2 before lacing a single for his 2,505th career hit to pass Yong-Taik Park for the all-time lead.

Park, who recorded each of his hits with the the LG Twins during a 20-year career that ended with one ceremonial game in front of his home fans in 2022, is now a broadcaster and so was on hand to congratulate his record's successor. That it happened at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, his old home park -- his favorite place to play -- only made the setting all the more fitting.

As the game was paused in the sixth inning to honor the achievement, an emotional Son bowed towards the Bears dugout, high-fived with teammates and cheered for the traveling Dinos fans before returning to the dugout.

The new record-holder, a lifetime .321 hitter and six-time Gold Glove Award winner, has shown remarkable consistency at the plate during his career. Since becoming a full-time player in 2010, Son has hit better than .300 every season except for two -- and one of those years he batted just a few points shy at .295. He was the first KBO player to record 150-plus hits for eight consecutive seasons and was just the second in KBO history to record 200-plus total bases in 11 straight years.

He helped Korea to win gold at the 2015 Premier12 tournament, playing a pivotal role with a ninth-inning single during Korea's comeback victory against Japan in the semifinals. Son also represented Korea at the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classic tournaments, going a combined 6-for-16 with three RBIs.