July 21, 2023, Daejeon, Hanwha Life Eagles Park. A player who celebrated his 27th birthday was heading home after the game with an extra-base hit, but there was something more important than his birthday.
It was Hanwha Eagles outfielder Lee Jin-young (26). He started the day in right field, batting first, and stayed on the field until the final out of the game. However, it didn’t go well, as he went 0-for-4. After the game, he left the dugout with his bat and headed back to the box.카지노사이트
“It’s harder to go to the second team because I’m not good than it is physically, even though I played nine innings and served as a specialist,” Lee told Sporting News a day later. I’m working as hard as I can.”
Lee joined Hanwha on April 23 last year after leaving his hometown team, the KIA Tigers, through a trade. He took advantage of his opportunity under former manager Carlos Subero and finished the season batting .200 (44-for-220) with eight home runs, 31 RBIs and an OPS of .627 in 70 games.
Lee spent the offseason working hard. He was assigned to Geelong Korea of the Australian Baseball League (ABL) to get a feel for the game, and in 2023, he took over as Hanwha’s leadoff man. With a batting average of 0.254 (43 hits in 209 at-bats) and a slugging percentage of 0.372, he is energizing the batting lineup as a ‘run-scoring machine’.
Lee spent the offseason working harder than anyone else. Reporter Byun Hye-mi
Reflecting on his play in the first half of the season, Lee said, “I still lacked a lot, and I’m still learning. I’m playing each game as if it matters,” he said, “I didn’t particularly care about my batting average. I tried to get on base as much as possible in the game,” he said.
“I’ve been playing consistently lately. I don’t think I can’t play (baseball) because I missed one game. Last year, if I didn’t play one game, I didn’t play (the next game). Even if I don’t play one day, I feel responsible because the manager trusts me to play the next day. It’s not that I can’t do it, but there are things I’m comfortable with.”
Lee Jin-young has been a run-scoring machine for Hanwha. Byun Hye-mi Reporter
Fans have been sending Lee a lot of supportive messages lately, as he has been performing steadily as an outfielder. When Lee stepped into the batter’s box on the 21st, the home fans in the stands sang happy birthday to him.
“This is the first time I’ve celebrated my birthday in a first-team stadium, and I’m grateful to the fans. I’m grateful for their support, but it was nice that they sang to me,” he said, expressing his gratitude for their hospitality.
In conclusion, Lee said, “The fans give me a lot of undeserved support, and I will do my best to live up to that support and help the team go to a good place. I don’t care about the numerical record. My goal is to stay in the first team until the end of the season without getting injured, and I’m determined to play for the team to win even one more game.”
The extra at-bat on his birthday paid off, as Lee completed his second three-hit game of the season the next day.
Lee Jin-young Fast Facts
Date of birth: July 21, 1997
Drafted by KIA in the 2016 KBO Secondary 6th Round, 58th overall
2023 season: .254 (43-for-209), 4 home runs, 25 RBI, OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) 0.757