On the 4th, the first episode of the baseball variety show 'Flaming Baseball 2' was released on Studio C1's official YouTube channel, showcasing the new journey of the Flaming Fighters. The episode attracted over 157,000 concurrent viewers.
The open recruitment for the Flaming Fighters team saw a staggering 207 applicants, highlighting the program's immense popularity. Despite the marathon six-hour screening process, Coach Kim Sung-geun was determined, stating, "I am prepared for this," as he committed to selecting new faces for the Flaming Fighters.
In the first base category, legendary names like Lee Dae-ho and Jung Hoon, who once dominated the KBO League, appeared, leaving viewers in awe. Coach Kim Sung-geun set high standards for the applicants, providing sharp feedback and building anticipation for the intense selection process ahead.
The shortstop position, the most competitive among fielders, saw young talents vying for attention. Kim Jae-ho submitted three versions of his introduction video, expressing his desire for recognition from the coach, but received a humorous critique, "You only hit .100." Other applicants also failed to make a strong impression, until college players Lee Si-won and Yoo Tae-gun caught Coach Kim's attention with their impressive batting.
Notably, older applicants also made their mark. Park Yong-taek, satisfied with his batting, hinted at a shaky evaluation, but Coach Kim praised him, saying, "No one has hit like this so far." Among pitcher applicants, the oldest, Song Seung-jun, proved his skills were still sharp. Watching intently, Coach Kim quietly noted '5th starter' in his notebook, heightening curiosity about the final team selection.
After a grueling 12-hour evaluation, 44 applicants advanced to the second round of individual tests. Amidst the pressure, Shin Jae-young impressed Coach Kim with his perfect control and variety of pitches. After the test, Coach Kim sternly told Shin Jae-young and Lee Dae-eun, "Why are you sitting? You should be running," to which they humorously responded, "Doesn't that mean we made it?" eliciting laughter. In the outfielder tests, Choi Soo-hyun, Moon Kyo-won, and Daeduk University's Hyun Bin received passing marks from Coach Kim.
Coach Kim was visibly pleased to see Lee Dae-ho at the first base individual test. Lee Dae-ho was surprised to learn he was the only first base applicant to survive, jokingly saying, "There are no players if you eliminate everyone," bringing laughter. As players who caught Coach Kim's eye emerged from the many applicants, attention turned to the birth of the 2026 Flaming Fighters.
Next week's episode will feature the final challenge, an intrasquad game, to select the new Flaming Fighters. With past reputations set aside, only current skills will determine who survives to wear the Fighters uniform. The anticipation builds for the next broadcast.
Jung Se-yoon, TenAsia Reporter yoon@tenasia.co.kr