‘I didn’t learn anything from Lee Jong-beom,’ says Lee Jung-hoo, but how did he become a major leaguer?
The ‘grandson of the wind’ crosses the Pacific.
Lee Jung-hoo, 25, who played for Nexen and Kiwoom Heroes for seven years, recently signed a six-year, $113 million contract with the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball.
Considering that the “son of the wind” Lee Jong-beom, the former coach of the LG Twins, also played in the KBO and then the Japanese professional baseball league (Junichi Dragons), this is the second time that father and son have played in overseas leagues.
Some might say it’s the power of DNA. But even with genetics, it’s not always the case that both sons become superstars in the same sport.
I’ve seen many cases in baseball, and in sports in general, where the father is a legendary player and the son doesn’t measure up.
At his induction ceremony for the San Francisco Giants, when asked if he learned anything in particular from his father, Lee cut to the chase and said, “I didn’t learn anything from baseball.”
His former coach Lee Jong-beom also said, “He told me to learn baseball skills from the team coach or manager.
I only told him about the mental part.”
Lee said he learned to survive in the league on his own based on his natural athleticism.
Lee’s hitting mechanics were partially perfected as an amateur. “
At first, I had a strong tendency to not swing all the way through and just hit the ball with the bat and run to first base quickly” (Oh Tae-geun, then coach of Whimungo). “
Swing and run after a second or two,” was the advice of the current coach, Oh Tae-geun.
He also said, “You are a player who can go straight to the pros, hit 3s, and become the rookie king.
It’s not important to do well in high school, but to think of high school as a process to go to the pros, and solidify the basics.”
He counseled Lee Jung-hoo. “
For lefties, there is a strong tendency to hit fast and run to first base.
If you say, ‘Take a perfect full swing and run,’ it won’t work, so I told him to count to two in his mind.”
“Two seconds after hitting, run,” he says.
After being selected as a professional, he gained weight and gained strength through weight training and participated in spring training, but the quality of his batting had changed. “
I didn’t even change my batting form,” he says, “but the balls that were caught in front of the fence just two or three months ago went over.
I realized that the basics are important,” he said. Coach Oh Tae-geun said, “(Lee) Jung-hoo was a player who hated to lose. “
When he was given a mission, he tried to accomplish it to the end, and he put in a lot of effort by training alone even in winter. 카지노
He also asked a lot of questions.”
“He also seemed to be thinking about who his father would be named after.”
Changing his batting form after winning five batting titles
The three letters “Lee Jong-beom” were a huge burden in Lee’s baseball life.
When he was in high school, he was often told, “You get special treatment because you’re Lee Jong-bum’s son,” or if he didn’t get a hit, “What’s wrong with Lee Jong-bum’s son?”
That’s why Lee didn’t show much emotion on or off the field in the early days of his professional career.
Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung said, “(Lee Jung-hoo) had a surprisingly poker face when he played, even though he was a high school rookie.
Lee grew up watching his father play baseball and wanted to follow in his footsteps, but his father was something he had to overcome.
It was another reason why he could never be satisfied with his performance, even as he improved year after year.
After winning five batting titles and the regular season Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 2022, Lee changed his hitting technique.
Usually, when things are going well, you take your form with you, but he wasn’t complacent.
The choice to hit faster and harder didn’t pay off.
In April, the opening month of professional baseball, he batted in the double digits (.218).
It was his worst slump since his professional debut in 2017.
He was so frustrated with his bat that he tried salt in the sauna and sprinkled holy water from his mother’s church on his bat.
It was a prolonged batting slump that was unfamiliar even to him.
He showed signs of rebounding in May (batting 0.305), then returned to form with a 0.374 batting average in June and a 0.435 batting average in July.
When asked about his attempts to change his batting, Lee said, “I think I shouldn’t be afraid of change if I want to be good.
Although I didn’t perform well with the swing change, I became more mature as I experienced it for the first time, and my faith in myself was solidified afterward.”
After his season ended prematurely with an ankle injury in late July, Lee’s 2023 numbers were 86 games, a .318 batting average, six home runs and 45 RBIs. “
I did my best with what I prepared and worked hard,” Lee said.
It’s just a shame that I couldn’t continue my streak due to injuries.”
In seven seasons in the KBO, Lee batted .340 with a .407 on-base percentage, .491 slugging percentage, 65 home runs, 515 RBIs, 69 doubles, and 581 runs scored.
His batting average is the highest in the KBO with over 3,000 at-bats.
Pitchers on the mound say they have “nowhere to throw” when facing Lee.
His ability to make contact with the bat is equally impressive.
Former KBO player Josh Lindblom (Doosan Bears) told The Athletic, “He can make contact in any count, and he’s not afraid to swing at pitches, even two strikes.”
