By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer
Heeryun Han arrived in the United States with limited knowledge of American culture. While playing at Los Medanos, he met Charlie Malton, who became his best friend and helped show him the ropes. Courtesy of Heeryun Han
Los Medanos had already lost one game on May 8. It was on the verge of losing again.
Down 8-0 in the fourth inning, Heeryun Han stepped to the plate with one out. Charlie Malton was on deck. Han wasn’t known for his power. Across the Mustangs’ first 42 games, he hadn’t hit a home run. His speed slotted him in the lineup’s five-hole, but no one was counting on Han to hit long balls. He just needed to get on base.
Facing current Atlanta Braves pitcher Nico Wagner, Han defied the odds.
With one swing of the bat, he launched a home run — his only one of the season — with his best friend Malton watching from the on-deck circle. Malton was in awe. The moment didn’t save their season, but it gave them one final memory to share in the dugout.
Hours later, when the final out was recorded, Malton sat wiping away tears, and Han, minutes later, joined him in sobbing.
“We thought we were never going to be able to play (together) again,” Malton said.
On Thursday, less than three months since that loss to West Valley College, after sharing experiences that only come from months as teammates and close friends, Han and Malton were on the same diamond once again. Yet with Malton on the mound for the California Tigers and Han in the batter’s box for the Stompers, something felt different — but it was still them, just on opposite sides.
“We nodded to each other and gave each other respect, but it was a fun challenge,” Malton said after pitching against Han. “Playing on the same team with Han for so long, I got to see his play style from a different point of view. I always knew he was good.”
When Malton ran out to shortstop for Los Medanos’ first practice, he wasn’t sure what to think. The Diablo Valley College transfer couldn’t quite believe his eyes. Han, standing 6 feet and weighing 170 pounds, lined up. The two didn’t know anything about each other, but Malton was sure Han was at the wrong position.
Wearing an oversized outfield glove, Han clanked balls around the infield that entire day. Malton stood quietly in the back of the line as it unfolded. Yet, with each repetition, Han progressed in the right direction. Before long, Malton knew what he was working with.
“He started doing what he could do and knocked the rust off, and I was like, ‘This guy’s a wizard.’ He had the best hands I’d ever seen,” Malton said.
“I was like, ‘This guy’s a wizard.’ He had the best hands I’d ever seen.””
Through countless conversations at shortstop, second base and third, Han and Malton came to know each other as more than just teammates. They spoke about their past, Han’s move from South Korea and Malton’s childhood in Concord.
They were completely different people, but baseball united them. Both were two-way players. They’d dreamed of doing it all, Han said.
Back in Seoul, Han was used to 10-hour practices. From 9 to 10 a.m., his team would run, followed by defense from 10 a.m. to noon. Batting practice ran from 1 to 5 p.m., with team drills and weight training wrapping up the day from 5 to 7 p.m. Malton grew up with four-hour practices filled with infield and outfield drills, plus batting practice. Occasional sprints were reserved for the end, typically when something went wrong.
Their journeys were entirely unique from one another, but Han welcomed support. After falling short of a childhood dream to play in the KBO League, he bet on himself and made the move to the U.S. At first, Han was disappointed.
Upon receiving a full scholarship to the New Mexico Military Institute, the education he’d expected to receive was different from what he experienced. Waking up at 6 a.m. each day, Han participated in military drills before the occasional four-hour baseball practice. He moved for a better education, but he needed more baseball, Han said.
So after a year with the Broncos, he moved to California to join the Mustangs. Immediately, Han’s soft-spoken energy and quiet determination caught the attention of his teammates and coaches. As he worked on his English, Han embraced every bit of help along the way.
Before each practice, head coach Harmen Sidhu wrote the plan for how Malton and Han would split the time between infield and pitching drills; the two were attached by the hip. They’d talk about their mechanics, with Malton always attempting to learn how the RPM on Han’s sliders sat at 2,600.
After hours of work, the two would immerse themselves in each other's culture — Han taking Malton to Korean Barbecue while Malton introduced Han to hamburgers at Habit Burger & Grill.
When their meals wrapped up, their grind picked back up. The two would head to Concord to hit in a batting cage as the natural light dimmed. They’d laugh throughout the hours of work.
Heeryun Han squats behind Charlie Malton as a pop-up comes their way. The two became close friends during their time as two-way players together at Los Medanos. Courtesy of Heeryun Han
“He definitely can have times where he’s serious with himself, but most of the time, he’s keeping things light. He’s just trying to play baseball and have fun,” Malton said of Han. “He’s always got a smile on his face, which I think is a reason he’s a great teammate and everyone loves him.”
When Los Medanos’ season concluded, all that was left was uncertainty for the two. They both hoped to transfer to a larger program, with Han’s dream of playing in the KBO revived. To get one step closer, they needed to find a summer home. That’s when Sidhu introduced the Stompers.
After meeting with manager Zack Pace and other coaches, Han and Malton were in — but only if they were together. For the first few weeks, they shared the same dugout. The self-guided warmups before games made Malton feel like he was in the pros, but then he’d turn to the side and see Han. They continued to throw together before every game. Nearly nothing changed.
However, at some point, one needs to separate themself and it was Malton’s time. He didn’t receive as many opportunities as he’d hoped in Sonoma, so he joined the Tigers. Han stayed put. For the first time in over a year, the two were on opposing squads. And while California isn’t a member of the CCL, both players had Thursday’s matchup circled on their calendar since Malton made the switch.
After retiring Quinn Medin in the first inning, Malton smirked on the mound when Han dug into the box. Han had joked about letting Malton strike him out, but it was clear that thought was in the past. After working a 3-2 count, Malton won round one when Han grounded out to shortstop.
The following inning, down 0-2, Han scorched a short hop toward Tigers’ second baseman Nathan Leffel, who snared it and threw it to first in time. Malton may have won the short run, but the game was far from over.
While Malton was replaced on the rubber, he remained in the game. After making a switch to left field, his view was even better for Han’s seventh-inning at-bat. Just like his time at Los Medanos, where Han didn’t have a home run until his final game, it was the same for the Stompers. After recently announcing he’d transfer to Texas Tech, where Han would report shortly, Thursday’s contest marked his final appearance in orange and blue.
With one final statement, Han worked a 2-2 count from Adam Smaglik before crushing a home run over the right-centerfield fence. As he was rounding second base, his eyes drifted to left field where Malton stood.
Malton may have won the battle between the two, but the victory shows up for the Stompers and Han. After the Tigers took the lead in the ninth, Trent Keys walked it off in the 10th.
In May, Malton stood on deck as Han homered for the first time. In July, he stood in left field as Han did it again. Two moments that stitched their baseball journey together, not just as players, but as lifelong friends.
“We just want each other to succeed and want what’s best for each other,” Malton said.