Yoon Seok-min and Na Ji-wan of 'Strong Baseball' Reveal Past Conflicts, Revealing Hilarious Teammate Banter

Former baseball stars Yoon Seok-min and Na Ji-wan, now active in the variety show 'Strong Baseball,' recently shared a humorous anecdote from their playing days, detailing a brief but memorable feud between them.

Appearing on the JTBC program 'Knowing Bros' on the 13th, alongside fellow 'Strong Baseball' teammates Jung Min-cheol and Lee Dae-hyung, Na Ji-wan recounted an incident involving pitcher Yoon Seok-min when they were both part of the KIA Tigers.

Na Ji-wan recalled a game where Yoon Seok-min pitched eight scoreless innings. "He was sitting next to me, and I told him, 'You lost today,' even though we were winning 8-0," Na Ji-wan said. Yoon Seok-min retorted, "That's why you know why there are so many bench-clearing incidents, right? You say things like that even when it looks unfair."

The game ultimately ended in an 8-9 defeat for their team, with Na Ji-wan admitting, "The closer messed up, so I stopped talking to Seok-min for three days." Yoon Seok-min added, "I was focused in the dugout, and I could smell Na Ji-wan next to me. When I deliberately didn't look, he kept nudging me. After that, I went to the restroom and didn't come out until the game was over."

Na Ji-wan explained his actions, stating, "I wanted him to overcome his superstition. Since I was a designated hitter, I liked to tease players." Yoon Seok-min recalled, "He sent me a long apology text message."

However, there were also times when Yoon Seok-min inadvertently caused trouble for Na Ji-wan. Na Ji-wan shared that when Yoon Seok-min achieved the pitching quadruple crown and won MVP, he was invited to the celebration. Despite being unable to drink alcohol due to rehabilitation, Na Ji-wan attended, only to have a senior coach see a social media post by Yoon Seok-min and confront him, "You're drinking when you just had surgery?"

To this, Yoon Seok-min playfully remarked, "I said I was drinking. I just wanted Na Ji-wan to leave," drawing laughter from the audience.

Meanwhile, 'Strong Baseball,' featuring legendary players like manager Lee Jong-beom, Kim Tae-kyun, Yoon Seok-min, Na Ji-wan, Lee Dae-hyung, Kwon Hyuk, and Shim Soo-chang uniting as the 'Breakers' team, is set to premiere on the 22nd.

Yoon Seok-min is celebrated as a legendary pitcher for the KIA Tigers and was part of the gold medal-winning South Korean team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His powerful fastball and control were exceptional. Following his retirement from professional baseball, he has remained active in the public eye, pursuing opportunities in coaching and appearing on entertainment programs.