“Pulling me out of an overturned car and calling 911…” N.C. infielder has been searching for a benefactor for nine months.
NC Dinos infielder Do Tae-hoon, 30, who is enjoying his best season since his professional debut seven years ago, is looking for the “lifesaver” who saved his life last year.
After the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League home game against the Hanwha Eagles at Changwon NC Park on the 26th, Do said through the club, “There are people who helped me in a car accident last year. If they see me, I hope they will contact me through the club.”
Do Tae-hoon was driving his SUV on Sept. 12 during the Chuseok holiday last year when he collided with a drunk driver coming from the opposite direction at the Dongmasan Interchange (IC) on the Namhae Expressway. It was a dangerous moment, as Do Tae-hoon’s vehicle overturned and was eventually totaled.
However, there were citizens who helped him. They pulled him out of the overturned car and called 911, despite the risk of causing a second accident, according to the club. “I don’t remember much about the accident,” Do said, “I’m not sure exactly how many people were there, or if they were men or women.”
With the dedicated help of the strangers, Do Tae-hoon spent about a week in and out of the hospital without any major injuries, and showed a quick recovery when he returned to the first-team lineup on September 30, 18 days after the accident.
“I always had the idea that I should thank them,” he said, “and now that everything is finalized, I contacted the police department and asked for their contact information, but I didn’t have any, so I was thinking a lot about what to do.” 메이저놀이터
He added, “I think I’m able to play baseball now because of them. If they see me, I would like them to contact me through the club. I want to see them and say thank you,” he said earnestly.
Through 26 games, Do has played in 36 games this season, batting .306 with two home runs, nine RBIs and an OPS of .850. His on-base percentage is even higher than his batting average, with a .433 slugging percentage. Do Tae-hoon, who started the season as a backup, has been rotating between the two positions amid the struggles and injuries of first baseman Oh Young-soo (23) and third baseman Park Seok-min (38).
Against Hanwha, Do Tae-hoon batted ninth and started at first base, going 3-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored. The hits and RBI were his most in a single game since his debut in 2016.
He started the team’s six-run big inning with a two-RBI double in the second inning and added an RBI single in the third. In the bottom of the seventh, he hit his second home run of the season over the right field fence off Hanwha pitcher Seung-Joo Han. His performance helped NC to an 11-0 victory and snap a two-game losing streak.
“We were in scoring position from the first at-bat, and because we had a good result, we were able to relax in the second and third at-bats, so it was a good result overall,” Do said. Regarding the home run in the seventh inning, he said, “We thought the opposing pitcher was a fastball pitcher, and we had a strategy to focus on fastballs.” “Luckily, the strategy worked,” he said.
In closing, Do said, “I would like to thank the fans for visiting Changwon NC Park. I was able to get a lot of strength from them. We will do our best to show the fans who visit the ballpark tomorrow.”