'The Immortal .400 Hitter' Baek Incheon Laid to Rest...Commemoration Ceremony Held

Player-Manager for MBC in Korea's First Pro Baseball Season
.412 Batting Average Record Remains Unbroken After 44 Years

The legendary "immortal .400 hitter," the late manager Baek Incheon, has passed away.

According to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on the 17th, the late Baek's funeral was held on the same day at Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do. Surrounded by his family, KBO Commissioner Heo Koo-yeon, former Police Baseball Team manager Yoo Seung-an, and other baseball figures, Baek was laid to rest at Rodem Park Arboretum in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, after passing through the Cheonan Memorial Park.

He began his career at Kyungdong High School and in industrial league baseball before advancing to Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan in 1963. Overcoming discrimination and contempt in Japan, he achieved significant success, including winning the Pacific League batting title in 1975 with a .319 average. In a past interview released by the KBO, he recalled his experiences in Japan, saying, "Try feeling the sorrow of going to Japan. You hear people calling out 'Chosun-jing'? It just makes your blood boil," he reminisced.

MBC former Blue Dragon director and player, the late Baek Incheon, passed away on the 17th. Family members holding a portrait of the deceased are leaving the funeral hall set up at Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan, Chungnam, on the same day. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Afterwards, in 1982, the inaugural year of Korean professional baseball, he returned to Korea and played a dual role as player-manager for the MBC Blue Dragons. At the age of 41, he made history by recording a .412 batting average—making him the first and only player to achieve a .400 season in KBO history. Even after 44 years, this record remains unbroken. Having earned batting titles in both Korea and Japan, Baek described himself in his lifetime as a "baseball addict, whose every thought and way of life revolved around baseball."

He also left a significant mark as a coach. In 1990, after MBC Blue Dragons were acquired, he became the inaugural manager for the newly established LG Twins, championing the philosophy of "baseball of spirit" and leading the team to a Korean Series victory in their first season. After retiring as a player from Sammi Superstars, Baek managed the LG Twins, Samsung Lions, and Lotte Giants.

In 1997, while managing Samsung, he suffered his first cerebrovascular event. Over the years, he battled four instances of cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage, enduring a long struggle with illness. On August 15, while receiving treatment for a cerebral infarction, he passed away at around 6:41 a.m. This funeral marked only the second time in history that a KBO funeral was held.

President Lee Jaemyung said in his condolence message, "Manager Baek's passionate devotion to baseball will remain in our memories for a very long time," and added, "I send my deepest respect and gratitude to the manager, who illuminated an era from the very beginning of Korean professional baseball."

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