KBO's Only ".400 Hitter" Paik Incheon in Critical Condition as Cerebral Infarction Worsens

Active for 23 Years in Korean and Japanese Pro Baseball
Hit .412 in First Year of Korean Pro League
Led LG Twins to Championship as Inaugural Manager in 1990

Former manager Paik Incheon, the only player in Korean professional baseball history to achieve a .400 batting average, is reportedly in critical condition after his cerebral infarction symptoms worsened.

According to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and acquaintances of Paik, he was residing in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province when he went into cardiac arrest around 6:00 a.m. on August 14, 2026. He was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Upon arrival, acquaintances and emergency personnel were told that he had "stopped breathing," and they began preparing for funeral procedures. However, they subsequently transferred him to Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan, where Paik regularly received checkups. There, his faint pulse returned and, while still in critical condition, he is currently on a ventilator in the emergency room.

Despite having collapsed four times due to cerebral infarctions, Paik has fought his illness with unyielding determination, and even underwent a regular medical checkup the previous day in relatively good condition. At present, his family, friends, and KBO officials are closely monitoring his condition and plan to consult with the medical staff. The family does not wish to prolong his life with life-sustaining treatment. Paik is 83 years old as of 2026.

Former manager Paik Incheon, the only Korean Baseball Organization player with a .400 batting average, passed away at the age of 83 due to worsening cerebral infarction. Yonhap News

Paik was born in 1942 in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. After traveling south during the Korean War, he learned to play baseball at Kyungdong Middle and High Schools, and began his career as a catcher by joining Nonghyup's industrial baseball team in 1961.

The following year, he moved to Japanese professional baseball as a free agent, joining the Toei Flyers (now the Nippon Ham Fighters). He later played for the Taiheiyo Lions (now the Seibu Lions), the Lotte Orions (now the Chiba Lotte Marines), and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, competing in Japan until 1981. In 1975, he secured the Pacific League batting title with a .319 average.

When Korean professional baseball launched in 1982, Paik returned home as a player-manager for the MBC Blue Dragons. That year, he made history by posting a .412 batting average, becoming the only player to ever achieve a .400 season in the KBO. He played for the Sammi Superstars for two years from 1983 before ending his 23-year professional career in Japan and Korea.

In 1985, Paik began his coaching career as a hitting instructor for the Cheongbo Pintos, and in 1990, he became the inaugural manager for the LG Twins, who were formed after the MBC Blue Dragons were taken over and reestablished. Instilling the motto of “baseball with soul,” he led the team to a Korean Series championship in their first season.

Paik went on to manage three teams: LG (1990–1991), the Samsung Lions (1996–1997), and the Lotte Giants (2002–2003).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.