“I didn’t take it off on purpose…I just wanted to make a change.”
Lee Jung-hoo, 25, who took over as captain of Kiwoom this year, had the letter “C” on his jersey under his left breast, which stands for Captain. As the only captain in his 20s in the KBO’s 10 teams, the “C” stood out even more.
However, Lee removed the ‘C’ from his jersey on March 17 against Doosan in Gocheok. He didn’t quit as captain, but he was so overwhelmed by his extreme batting slump and the team’s poor performance that he thought to himself, “Isn’t it good to have it?” When he was given a uniform without the letter C, he made a change to cheer himself up. He trimmed his hair to a close-cropped style to cheer himself up.
“I didn’t know what the pressure of being a captain was, but I realized that there was a certain amount of it. When the team was doing well, I didn’t know, but when it wasn’t, I kept thinking, ‘I have to step up and do something,’” says Lee. “I also thought about what my older brothers used to say in this situation when I was younger. They would tell us that we have to play every day, and that we have to forget about it quickly and get ready for the next game.”
Kiwoom, last year’s Korean Series runner-up, has yet to rebound after two months of play. The pitching has been solid with a stable starting lineup, but the bats haven’t been clicking with the ninth-best team OPS (.661). Lee Jung-hoo can’t escape blame either. In 49 games through Day 1, Lee is batting 2-for-6 with 52 runs (195 at-bats), four home runs, 25 RBIs and a .738 OPS, not exactly living up to his name.
He announced his intention to enter the U.S. major leagues next year and adjusted his batting form before the season, but it turned out to be poisonous. In the month of April, he struggled in 22 games (87 at-bats, 19 runs) with a .678 OPS with three home runs and 13 RBIs. He hadn’t been in a hitting slump this long since his debut in 2017. Coupled with the team’s poor performance, Lee was under extreme stress.
However, he rebounded somewhat in May, going 3-for-5 (32 RBI in 105 at-bats) with one home run, 12 RBI, and a .783 OPS in 26 games. Against Hanwha on the first day of June, he broke the perfect game streak of opposing starter Moon Dong-ju with a defensive shift-breaking single to left in the fourth inning. In the ninth inning, he drew a walk to complete his multi-hit performance.
Lee said, “In May, I had good at-bats that I could understand even if I struck out. I want to think of April as a good experience. It’s the first time I’ve been this bad since my debut, but I think times like that are good for me. I apologize to the fans, I apologize to my teammates, I apologize to my managers and coaches, but I think those moments make me stronger. I think it gives me a different perspective on baseball. I don’t want to think of it as a bad thing. If I do, I think the sky is the limit.”
Not being able to play baseball has made him think a lot, but he is now simply trusting his instincts. “I used to think too much at the plate. I try to trust my eyes and hands when the ball comes. Hitting is all about those sensations and instincts in the moment. I think I was letting bad thoughts overpower my instincts.” He explained his change by saying, “I’m hitting with the idea of trusting my eyes and hands as much as possible and reacting instinctively to the pitcher’s ball.”스포츠토토
He’s also been more aggressive at the plate. “I didn’t get on base as much, so I wasn’t as tired (physically) at the end of the game. After striking out and looking at the fight in the dugout, I would get down,” Lee confessed. “The more I get on base and run around, the more energy and rhythm I have. I want to contribute to the team in every play I can as a fielder.”