baseball-hitter
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| ▲ Lee Jung-hoo of the Kiwoom Heroes hits a single against the LG Twins during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on May 10, 2023, in this photo provided by the Heroes. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Lee Jung-hoo of the Kiwoom Heroes (L) celebrates his single against the LG Twins during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on May 10, 2023, in this photo provided by the Heroes. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Lee Jung-hoo of the Kiwoom Heroes prepares for a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on May 10, 2023, in this photo provided by the Heroes. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
baseball-hitter
Slumping KBO MVP showing signs of life in May
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 11 (Yonhap) -- Having hit safely in seven of his eight games in May, with a couple of multihit efforts thrown in, reigning South Korean baseball MVP Lee Jung-hoo appears to be hitting his stride.
After a 2-for-4 day against the LG Twins on Wednesday, the Kiwoom Heroes star is now batting .231 for the season. It is still an unfamiliar number next to Lee's name, and the fact that his batting average went up by nine points shows you just how far Lee has fallen this year.
Lee, the two-time reigning batting champion, entered this season with a lifetime .342 average, the highest among all hitters in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history with at least 3,000 plate appearances. Amid his early-season struggles, that average has dipped to .338, but it's still the best mark of all time in the league.
The 24-year-old, though, isn't worried about his place in the record books. He is trying to take baby steps toward the lofty heights that many in baseball have grown accustomed to.
A day before his two-hit output Wednesday, Lee had lined a double and also hit a deep flyout caught on the warning track in left field.
"In yesterday's game, I was able to drive the ball the other way with some power for the first time in quite some time. Even though the ball was caught, I felt I was getting better," Lee said after Wednesday's 11-1 victory at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. "And I had another productive day at the plate today. I think I will continue to improve from here and on."
Lee won the Rookie of the Year award in 2017 after hitting .324. He never hit lower than that in any of the five following seasons, though the streak may end this year unless Lee goes on a heater the rest of the way.
Lee still sits 54th among 64 qualified hitters this season in batting average.
Heroes manager Hong Won-ki has insisted that numbers show Lee hasn't suddenly become a bad hitter and he will bounce back at some point. Lee said he has tried to stick to the same mindset.
"I did become conscious of the slump at some point, because it went on longer than I had expected," Lee said. "But it is still early in the season, and we have a lot of games left. I think my numbers will improve soon as I piece together a few hits."
The Heroes are set to post Lee for Major League Baseball clubs after this season. Trying to prepare himself against big league fastballs ahead of time, Lee tweaked his swing over this past offseason.
The changes seemed to pay off at the World Baseball Classic in March, where Lee batted .429 (6-for-14) with five RBIs in four games, but not so much in the KBO.
Lee recently admitted he has reverted to his old swing, though not all was lost from his attempt to alter his mechanics.
"It was a good learning experience, but I had to start putting up numbers at some point. I found myself going back to old habits as I tried to get comfortable at the plate," Lee said. "But I can pat myself on the back for all the hard work, because I was able to change something I had for many years in just a couple of months. It helped me so much in terms of hitting techniques and also gave me confidence in my old swing."
Lee thanked his manager Hong and teammates for their unwavering support.
"Given the way I've been hitting, no one would have raised an eyebrow if I'd been demoted to the minor league. But the manager trusted me even more and put my mind at ease," Lee said. "I am also sorry to my teammates. I promise them I can be even better if they stay patient just a little longer."
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