Lee Jung-hoo was also Lee Jung-hoo.
Kiwoom Heroes outfielder Lee Jeong-hoo recorded a batting average of 0.429 with 6 hits and 5 RBIs in 4 games at 14 at bat in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where he participated as the Korean national team. He was regarded as one of the most anticipated players even before the tournament, and his performance was worthy of a ‘world star’.
In particular, on the 10th, against Korea-Japan pitcher Darvish Yu (San Diego Padres), who won 16 major league wins last year, in the 3rd inning,메이저놀이터 2 outs and 2nd base, 1 RBI was timely hit. Tass) hit a double. He was Korea’s only multi-hit hitter in the 4-13 loss.
After returning to Korea on the 14th, Lee Jung-hoo joined the team training on the 15th, and in the exhibition match against the KIA Tigers held at Gocheok Dome on the 16th, he started and finished the game with 1 hit in 2 at-bats, hitting against rookie Yoon Yeong-cheol in the 1st round of the KIA. . After resting for a day, he was again named in the starting lineup for an exhibition game against Hanwha Eagles held at Eagles Park in Daejeon on the 18th.
After two outs in the first inning, Lee Jung-hoo hit a superior solo shot by pulling a 152km/h fastball that came into the middle of a 3-ball situation against Hanwha starter Moon Dong-ju. Lee Jung-hoo’s first home run in an exhibition game. His slugging power, which he had gradually developed, shone after only three at-bats in the demonstration game.
It was also meaningful that the opponent was Moon Dong-ju, one of the fastball pitchers that has recently attracted the most attention in the league. Korea was shocked to see that most Japanese pitchers threw fast balls over 150km in this tournament. Baseball officials and fans realized that they had to develop pitchers like that in Korea, and started looking at promising fastball players in the league. The target is Moon Dong-ju and Kim Seo-hyun of Hanwha.
However, Lee Jung-hoo gave Mun Dong-ju a home run in the first exhibition game of the year and conveyed the message, “Do not settle down.” Moon Dong-ju, who recorded the highest 157km that day, revealed what he felt after the game, “As expected, senior Lee Jung-hoo had a different ‘class.’
Lee Jung-hoo’s fire bat did not cool down the next day either. On the 19th against Hanwha, Lee Jeong-hoo fired a come-from-behind two-run four against Felix Pena in the 3rd inning, 2 out 1 base, behind 0-1, and 5-1 in the 4th inning, 1st and 2nd base, 2 RBIs, 2 bases, 2 hits, 4 He did a great job scoring 2 runs.
Lee Jung-hoo, who won 5 batting crowns in the league last year, showed his greed as soon as he returned to Korea, saying, “I want to get as many at-bats as quickly as possible in the demonstration game.” He said he wants to enter the next season after getting used to the changed batting form as much as possible. The first victim was Moon Dong-ju. How many other pitchers will Lee Jung-hoo go into ‘breaking the seal’ this season?
