Yoo Han-joon (Korean: 유한준; Hanja: 柳漢俊; born July 1, 1981 in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province) is a retired South Korean outfielder for the KT Wiz in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.
| Yoo Han-joon | |
|---|---|
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| KT Wiz – No. 61 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: July 1, 1981 | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| KBO debut | |
| July 7, 2005, for the Hyundai Unicorns | |
| Last appearance | |
| 2021, for the KT Wiz | |
| KBO statistics | |
| Batting average | .302 |
| Home runs | 151 |
| Runs batted in | 883 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Amateur career
editAfter graduating from Yushin High School, Yoo was drafted by the Hyundai Unicorns in the second round (20th overall) of the 2000 KBO Draft. Yoo did not sign with them; instead he opted for college, attending Dongguk University. Yoo was a four-year starting third baseman for Dongguk University from 2000-2003. As a junior in 2002, Yoo was selected for the South Korean national team in the Intercontinental Cup held in Havana, Cuba, where he played mostly as a backup third baseman behind Hanwha Eagles star Lee Bum-Ho.
Notable international careers
edit| Year | Venue | Competition | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 |  Cuba
|
Intercontinental Cup | 
|
Professional career
editIn 2004, Yoo made his KBO pro league debut in the Hyundai Unicorns. The Unicorns assigned him to the Unicorns second team for the 2004 season.
Yoo was promoted to the first team in the 2005 season but only batted .192 with 5 hits in 26 at-bats in 18 games.
After the 2005 season, Yoo converted his position to third baseman to outfielder. In 2006, his first season as an outfielder, Yoo became a fixture in right field of the Unicorns.
In 2007, Yoo hit .223 with 5 home runs and 35 RBI for the Unicorns. He missed the next two years due to military service.
In 2010, Yoo returned to baseball with the Nexen Heroes. On May 19, Yoo gained notability with his performance against the SK Wyverns, tying the all-time single-game record for RBI. In that game, he drove in 8 runs, going 5-for-6 with 2 home runs. As a consistent full-time outfielder, Yoo finished the season with career-bests in all offensive categories, ranked 4th in the KBO league in at-bats (481), 7th in hits (140), 8th in doubles (27), 12th in RBI (79) and 22nd in batting average (.291). After the 2010 season, Yoo was selected for the South Korea national baseball team to compete in the Intercontinental Cup held in Taichung.
In 2021, Yoo retired from professional baseball.[1][2]
Notable international careers
edit| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 |  Chinese Taipei
|
Baseball World Cup | 5th | .212 (7-for-33), 6 RBI, 4 R |
| 2010 | Chinese Taipei
|
Intercontinental Cup | 6th | .321 (9-for-28), 4 RBI, 3 R |
References
edit- ^ Yoo Jee-ho (24 November 2021). "KT Wiz veteran Yoo Han-joon retires after 18 years in KBO". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ Jim Bulley (25 November 2021). "KT's Yoo Han-joon ends 18-year career on a high note". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved September 5, 2023.