“Son of the Wind” Lee Jong-beom raced on the ground for the first time in a long time. He exploded with three hits, two walks and five on base in the Korea-Japan Legend Match, revealing the dignity of baseball genius “Jongbeom Shin” to the world once again.
The Korea-Japan Dream Players Game, a dream game between Korean and Japanese baseball legends, was held at Esconfield in Hokkaido, Japan on the 22nd. The friendly match was designed to promote international exchanges through baseball, with respect and appreciation for seniors who have built up the history of professional baseball in both countries.
After a fierce competition, the game ended in 6-10, Korea’s defeat. It was a fierce competition, but since baseball legends from both Korea and Japan returned to the ground after a long time and united as baseball players, there was no meaning of victory or defeat.
Nonetheless, some players shone in the game. In Korea, Lee Jong-beom, a former LG coach who started as the first center fielder, stood out. Unrivaledly, Lee Jong-beom, a baseball player, was chosen as the best player (MIP) for an interview, not the father of Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants), who became a baseball coach or major leaguer for the first time in a while after the game ended. 먹튀검증
“I lost, but it was a pleasant memory. When I was playing in Japan, I had fun meeting Japanese junior players. Congratulations to Itoi, who hit the final home run,” Lee said, reviving the meaning of the festival.
Lee Jong-beom, who was 53 years old and the oldest member of the Korean national team, even took care of his body for the match. Nevertheless, the legend confessed honestly that he felt his age.
“It was my first competition in 13 years since I retired,” Lee said. “After practicing yesterday, I felt my body was not keeping up,” Lee said. “However, once I entered the competition, I was very nervous.”
I really enjoyed the game. “I had a lot of fun today. I used to pour all my energy into it the day before between Korea and Japan, but today I worked hard as if I were playing baseball in my neighborhood with good friends,” Lee said with a big smile.
There was also a scene that was regrettable during the game. After making a diving catch in the sixth inning, he made an error by throwing a ball to the ground. This scene was not seen when he was active. “That is the limit of my age,” Lee said with an awkward smile.
Korean and Japanese legends played at Econ Field, which attracted a great number of spectators. Econ Field is Japan’s first natural turf field with a retractable roof, which opened last year at a cost of 60 billion yen (530.1 billion won) for construction. The state-of-the-art facilities were impressive even to viewers.
Regarding his feelings about playing at such a stadium, Lee Jong-beom said, “I only saw it on TV, and I felt regret that Korean players could not play in such a stadium,” adding, “I hope our players will play in such a stadium in the future.”
Finally, regarding his thoughts on participating in such a historical legend match, Lee Jong-beom hoped that the friendly relationship between Korea and Japan would return and that retired players would play as in many sports advanced countries, including the United States and Japan.
Lee Jong-beom said, “The players of both teams must have felt a lot today. With this good friendship in the future, it will be an opportunity for many retired players to participate.”
