Baek In-chun, KBO's only .400 hitter, dies at 84

Baek In-chun KBO League Nippon Professional Baseball 40 percent hitter baseball legend

Baseball legend Baek In-chun has passed away at the age of 84 due to complications from a cerebral hemorrhage. He was a monumental figure in both South Korean and Japanese professional baseball.

Baek is most famously remembered as the only player in KBO League history to record a batting average over .400, achieving a .412 average in 1982 while serving as a player-manager for the MBC Blue Dragons. His career spanned 23 years, including 19 seasons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with teams such as the Toei Flyers and Pacific League batting champion Taiheiyo Whales.

In addition to his playing career, Baek was a highly respected manager, leading the LG Twins to a Korean Series championship in 1990 and managing the Samsung Lions and Lotte Giants. He was also noted for his ability to develop talent, including helping mentor Lee Seung-yuop during his time with Samsung. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) is presiding over his funeral, designating it as a KBO funeral to honor his immense contributions to the sport.

Entities

Baek In-cheon · Baek In-chun · Dankook University Hospital · KBO · Korea Baseball Organization · LG Twins · Lee Seung-yuop · MBC Chungyong · Nippon Ham Fighters · Nippon Professional Baseball

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 2 SOURCES] Baek served as a manager for the LG Twins, Samsung Lions, and Lotte Giants.
[● 3 SOURCES] The KBO will hold a funeral for him as a KBO funeral.
[● 3 SOURCES] Baek was 83 years old at the time of his death.
[● 3 SOURCES] Baek recorded a batting average of 0.412 in 1982, the only 4-percent hitter in Korean professional baseball history.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Baek played in over 1,500 games in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league starting in 1963.
[● 3 SOURCES] The funeral wake is set at Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan.
[● 3 SOURCES] Former manager Baek In-cheon passed away on the 14th due to worsening cerebral infarction.