As expected, Lee Jung-hoo (26) of the San Francisco Giants was Lee Jung-hoo. He was not a player who was shaken up just because he made a mistake.
Lee Jung-hoo started as the first hitter in the center field in an away game against the Boston Red Sox in the 2024 Major League Baseball at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts on the 3rd (Korea time).
Entering the batter’s box as a leadoff hitter in the top of the first inning, Lee hit a big hit toward center field, but was out in the fly. According to the “Baseball Servant,” Lee’s hit could have been a home run at 10 stadiums including the San Francisco Giants’ home stadium, Oracle Park. However, he missed the home run due to the unique structure of Fenway Park.
There were dizzying moments in defense. Sedan Raffaella hit with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, which was enough for center fielder Lee Jung-hoo to catch. However, Lee completely lost his direction due to strong sunlight, and eventually allowed a double, creating a crisis for his team.
If it were an ordinary player, he could collapse his mind. However, Lee was different. Just in time, Geron Duran’s well-hit ball headed for Lee, who boldly made a diving catch. He was determined to catch the ball no matter what. He saved the team that was in danger of losing points by banking on himself. He managed to recover from his previous defense mistake but still managed to do so. Lee had no hit in four times at bat, but managed to block his team from losing points, contributing to his team’s victory. The game ended with San Francisco’s 3-1 victory. San Francisco Giants, which almost lost three consecutive games to Boston, was able to take a breather with the win.
On the day, the U.S. sports magazine The Athletic paid attention to Lee’s play. First of all, The Athletic said, “Some of Lee’s hits could have been skipped if they were other stadiums. However, Lee finished the three consecutive games with one hit from 12 times at bat,” adding that Lee was unlucky at bat. In fact, Lee hit homeruns in all three consecutive games against Boston, but the result was flyout. 메이저놀이터
“Lee Jung-hoo lost the direction of the floating ball in the sun, but he caught Duran’s line drive with a headfirst dive and punched him on the grass,” “The Athletic” said, vividly conveying the moment Lee Jung-hoo recovered his defensive mistake with a diving catch.
What stood out most of all was Lee Jung-hoo’s “steel mind.” In an interview with The Athletic, Lee said, “I was under stress because of the first play (when I missed the ball),” and added, “After I missed the ball, I thought to myself that I hope the next ball will come to me. And I hoped that I would catch it and help my team. And that’s what really happened.” He meant that he did not make mistakes in defense and falter his mind, but rather held his mind tightly and sought an opportunity to recover somehow. This shows how solid Lee’s mind is.
Another U.S. sports media outlet, Sports Illustrated, also mentioned Lee’s stellar defense. “Lee made a embarrassing mistake in the outfield, but he made up for it himself,” SI said. “The structure of Fenway Park has caused troubles to many outfielders for generations,” stressing that Fenway Park is a difficult field for outfielders to defend. This is also the process of Lee adapting himself to the big stage of the Major League.
