Kiwoom Lee Jung-hoo appeared at the plate as a pinch hitter with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning when he was leading the game 5-3 against the Samsung Lions of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 10th.
Entering the batter’s box, Lee Jung-hoo took off his helmet and greeted the stands at first, home and third base politely.
The audience applauded chanting “Lee Jung-hoo, Lee Jung-hoo.” Major League San Francisco Giants general manager Pete Putteller, who was watching the game from the center seat, also stood up and watched Lee Jung-hoo’s at-bat. 슬롯머신
Kiwoom Lee Jung-hoo recorded a batting average of 0.319 with six home runs and 45 RBIs with a 0.863 OPS in 85 games in the 2023 season. He suffered an ankle injury against Lotte on July 22 and is rehabilitating after finishing the operating table.
Lee Jung-hoo, who currently plays the rehabilitation schedule, said, “I’m playing free batting. He can play in the first division only after playing live batting and playing in the second division, but he skipped all of them. It’s a situation where I played free batting twice. I don’t think I can say 100%. After the end of the season, I will gradually carry out the rehabilitation program.”
Lee Jung-hoo, who had a persistent game in the season, had a close game against Samsung’s Kim Tae-hoon to reach 12 pitches. First of all, he seemed to be disappointed when the deep ball slightly missed the foul line. Lee Jung-hoo’s grounder to third base was caught by the defense through the fielders’ defensive shift after the 12th pitch, but Lee Jung-hoo showed his best by running to first base.
Teammates and spectators applauded Lee Jung-hoo, who came into the dugout after a sprint, although he was out. After the game, Lee Jung-hoo said, “I’ve been nervous since yesterday, but when I actually entered the batter’s box, I was relieved. I didn’t have a sense of practice yet, but looking at the ball one by one, the ball hit and a foul came out. Still, I want to put meaning on the fact that I was able to show my last appearance on the ground (at my home stadium),” he said.