An Chi-hong

1.1. Early Life and Education

An Chi-hong was born on July 2, 1990, in Guri-si, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. He attended Guji Elementary School, where he was involved in little league baseball, followed by Daechi Middle School, and then Seoul High School, his father's alma mater. During his school years, he developed a flexible wrist strength that caught the attention of high school scouts.

1.2. Amateur Baseball Activities

An Chi-hong began to gain significant attention in his second year of high school in 2007, becoming a starting shortstop for Seoul High School. He notably excelled at the 2007 President's Cup National High School Baseball Championship in April. In the final game against Gwangju Jeil High School, he hit consecutive home runs against their third-year ace, Jeong Chan-heon. He ultimately achieved the batting triple crown (leading in batting average, home runs, and RBI) in the tournament, drawing widespread interest from professional scouts, though his team finished as runner-up.

In his third year, An Chi-hong served as the team captain but did not lead his team to a championship. His strong performance continued, leading to his selection for the South Korea national junior baseball team in August 2007 to participate in the Asian Junior Baseball Championship held in Taichung, Taiwan. During this tournament, he recorded a .111 batting average (1-for-9). The following year, in 2008, he was again selected for the national junior baseball team to compete at the World Junior Baseball Championship in Canada. South Korea claimed their fifth tournament title there. In this competition, An batted .333 (10-for-30) with 8 RBIs and 8 runs, playing in all 8 games as a second baseman and third baseman, and was recognized as the Best Defensive Player.

2.1. Kia Tigers Era (2009-2014)

An Chi-hong was drafted by the Kia Tigers in the 2nd round (1st pick, 9th overall) of the 2009 KBO Draft. He made his professional debut on April 4, 2009. On July 2, 2009, he hit his 9th and 10th home runs of the season against the Samsung Lions, becoming only the fourth straight-from-high-school rookie in KBO history to achieve double-digit home runs. Despite this achievement and being the only rookie eligible for the batting title with 436 plate appearances in 123 games, he did not win the KBO League Rookie of the Year Award, which went to saves champion Lee Yong-chan of the Doosan Bears.

An Chi-hong was selected for the Best 10 of the 2009 KBO All-Star Game, becoming the first rookie player to receive this honor since Lee Byung-kyu and Jin Kab-yong in 1997. His 693,565 votes were the second-highest in fan voting, trailing only Kim Hyun-soo. At the All-Star Game in Gwangju on July 25, he hit a two-run home run against Go Hyo-jun in the 5th inning, making him the youngest player ever (19 years and 23 days) to hit an All-Star Game home run. He was subsequently named the KBO All-Star Game MVP, a historic achievement as the first high school graduate rookie and youngest player to win the award.

In the 2009 Korean Series, An Chi-hong continued to play as a starter. In Game 7 on October 24, he hit a home run, becoming the youngest player to do so in Korean Series history. This home run provided a crucial comeback opportunity, and with Na Ji-wan's walk-off home run against Chae Byeong-yong, the Tigers secured their first championship in 12 years. His exceptional rookie performance led to a 200% salary increase, setting a new record for the highest salary increase rate among Tigers' batters.

In 2010, his second professional year, An Chi-hong played in all 133 official games, demonstrating consistent growth as a promising young infielder in the KBO. In 2011, despite playing fewer games (115), he maintained a batting average above .300, recorded 5 home runs, and 46 RBI. He also earned his first KBO Golden Glove Award at second base. He played 132 games in 2012, batting .288 with 3 home runs and 64 RBI, and 118 games in 2013, batting .249 with 3 home runs and 39 RBI.

The 2014 season was a career-best for An Chi-hong, where he played 126 games and achieved a .339 batting average, 147 hits, 31 doubles, 18 home runs, and 88 RBI. Despite these strong numbers, he was not selected for the 2014 Asian Games national team. Following the season, he enlisted in the Police Baseball Team for his mandatory military service. During his absence, his jersey number 8 was temporarily retired by then-manager Kim Ki-tae.

2.2. Military Service (Police Baseball Team)

After the 2014 season, An Chi-hong entered the Police Baseball Team for his mandatory military service. He was joined by Jeon Jun-woo of the Lotte Giants. An Chi-hong wore jersey number 13 during his time with the Police Baseball Team, yielding his usual number 8 to Jeon Jun-woo.

2.3. Return to Kia Tigers Era (2016-2019)

An Chi-hong was discharged from military service on September 3, 2016, and was immediately registered in the Kia Tigers' first-team roster on September 4. He returned to play 10 games in 2016, batting .222 with 1 RBI.

His first full season back in 2017 saw him play 132 games, batting .316 with 29 doubles, 21 home runs, and 93 RBI. He formed a formidable keystone combination with Kim Sun-bin, playing a crucial role in leading the Tigers to a unified championship (winning both the regular season and Korean Series). In 2018, he continued his stellar performance, batting .342 with 38 doubles, 23 home runs, and 118 RBI in 130 games. He served as the team captain in 2019, playing 105 games, batting .315 with 18 doubles, 5 home runs, and 49 RBI.

2.4. Lotte Giants Era (2020-2023)

After the 2019 season, An Chi-hong became a free agent for the first time. On January 6, 2020, he signed a 2+2 year contract worth a maximum of 5.60 B KRW with the Lotte Giants. After the 2021 season, his contract with the Giants was automatically extended until 2023.

During his time with the Lotte Giants, he continued to be a productive player. In 2020, he played 124 games, batting .286 with 28 doubles and 8 home runs, contributing 54 RBI. In 2021, he appeared in 119 games, batting .306 with 30 doubles and 10 home runs, driving in 82 runs. The 2022 season saw him play 132 games, batting .284 with 27 doubles and 14 home runs, accumulating 58 RBI. In 2023, his final year with the Giants, he played 121 games, batting .292 with 20 doubles and 8 home runs, tallying 63 RBI.

2.5. Hanwha Eagles Era (2024-present)

Following the 2023 season, An Chi-hong became a free agent for the second time in his career. On November 20, 2023, he signed a contract with the Hanwha Eagles for 4+2 years, totaling 7.20 B KRW. He began playing for the Hanwha Eagles in the 2024 season, continuing his professional career with his third KBO League team.

5.1. Amateur Career

• Triple Crown winner in the 41st President's Cup National High School Baseball Championship (Batting, Home Runs, RBI)

5.2. Professional Career

• Youngest KBO All-Star Game MVP (19 years and 23 days in 2009)
• Youngest player to hit a home run in a Korean Series game (Game 7, 2009 Korean Series)
• Fourth straight-from-high-school rookie to hit double-digit home runs in KBO history (2009 season)

6.1. Alma Mater

• Guji Elementary School (Guri Little League)
• Daechi Middle School
• Seoul High School

6.2. Nickname

An Chi-hong is sometimes referred to by the nickname 'Ancheoyong' (안쳐용_Ancheoyong^Korean). This name is a playful portmanteau derived from his surname 'An' and the Korean phrase 'mot chyeoyong', meaning "cannot hit" or "not hitting well," used jokingly when he is in a batting slump.

6.3. Jersey Numbers

An Chi-hong has worn several jersey numbers throughout his professional career:

• 8 (2009-2014, 2016-2019) with the Kia Tigers
• 13 (2020-2023) with the Lotte Giants
• 3 (2024-present) with the Hanwha Eagles