Returning Hero: Seo Geon-chang’s Emotional Comeback to Kiwoom Heroes with 6 Billion Won Contract

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[MyDaily = Reporter Yoo Jin-hyung] Even after 18 grueling seasons in pro baseball, a single baseball was enough to bring a veteran to tears. Seo Geon-chang, 37 — known as a records man who’s collected trophies and basked in the spotlight — showed he had come home in a way only a Hero could.

On the 20th, the Kiwoom Heroes announced a two-year, non-FA contract with infielder Seo Geon-chang for the 2027–2028 seasons, up to KRW 600 million (KRW 500 million salary, KRW 100 million in incentives; approximately $450,000 total — $375,000 salary, $75,000 incentives). The deal keeps Seo in the burgundy uniform he wore during his prime and keeps him with the Heroes through 2028.

Before the ink on the contract even dried, the Gocheok Sky Dome produced a moment that mattered more than the signing bonus.

At the routine pre-practice meeting where the whole team gathers, someone suddenly called Seo’s name. He stepped forward, puzzled, and was handed a small baseball — the commemorative ball from his first hit back with the Heroes on the 9th against KT at Gocheok.

Seo has a long list of awards to his name, but that ball likely felt heavier and more meaningful than any trophy.

In 2014, Seo broke a KBO milestone no one had reached before, finishing the season with 201 hits and earning regular-season MVP honors. Yet after those peak years came a harsh slump, a change of teams and career crossroads. When many seemed to have given up on him, his original club — the Heroes — welcomed the injured veteran back.

The Heroes have often been criticized for trading core players and running the club like a business. Still, in a sport where business logic can dominate, Kiwoom reminded fans of baseball’s romance — not just with a multi-year deal, but with a small, thoughtful token that comforted a player.

For Seo, the Heroes were there for his brightest moments and reached out again at his lowest. They’re more than a team — they’re a home that will welcome him back.

Seeing Seo smile in the familiar burgundy uniform, fans felt a kind of baseball beauty money can’t buy. The hero’s story isn’t over. Seo’s second act, back where he belongs, is just beginning.

[Seo Geon-chang, who signed the multi-year non-FA contract with Kiwoom, receives the Heroes return commemorative ball and beams / Gocheok = Reporter Yoo Jin-hyung zolong@mydaily.co.kr]

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