<img alt="▲Lee Woo-sung high-fives manager <a href="https://www.world-today-news.com/kbo-golden-gloves-awards-ceremony-legendary-commentator-lee-soon-cheol-questions-the-necessity-of-experience-for-kia-tigers-new-coach/" title="KBO Golden Gloves Awards Ceremony: Legendary Commentator Lee Soon-cheol Questions the Necessity of Experience for KIA Tigers New Coach”>Lee Beom-ho after hitting a home run [KIA 타이거즈]” class=”thumb_g_article” data-org-src=”https://t1.daumcdn.net/news/202411/04/kbc/20241104153207268ocst.jpg” data-org-width=”800″ dmcf-mid=”xNdq62meUj” dmcf-mtype=”image” height=”auto” src=”https://img3.daumcdn.net/thumb/R658x0.q70/?fname=https://t1.daumcdn.net/news/202411/04/kbc/20241104153207268ocst.jpg” width=”658″/>
▲Lee Woo-sung high-fives manager Lee Beom-ho after hitting a home run [KIA 타이거즈]
The KIA Tigers’ best discoveries this season include ‘left-handed bullpen’ Kwak Do-gyu and ‘offensive catcher’ Han Jun-su, but if we were to turn the pendulum back another year, I think it would be Lee Woo-sung.
Lee Woo-sung was selected high by the Doosan Bears in the 2013 rookie draft, and was a strong outfield prospect who had previously attended the Sangmu Baseball Team and resolved military issues, but he endured hardships as a backup player for over 10 years.
But things have definitely changed since last season.
He played in 126 games and had a career-high season with a batting average of 0.301, 8 home runs, 58 RBIs, an on-base percentage of 0.363, a slugging percentage of 0.417, and an OPS of 0.780.
Lee Woo-sung’s performance continued this year.
Due to team circumstances, he changed his position from the outfield to first base, which was his main position, and showed relatively stable defense. In April, when Na Seong-beom was out due to injury, he completely erased the gap in the central batting lineup with a monthly batting average of 0.313, 4 home runs, and 21 RBI.
The story of Woo-seong Lee, who is now an indispensable player in the batting lineup, trying to quit baseball, and the story of Manager Beom-ho Lee (hitting coach at the time) who helped him resolve this, were belatedly told through Manager Beom-ho Lee’s essay.
▲Lee Woo-sung standing at bat [KIA 타이거즈]
At that time, the KIA club announced its spring camp roster in Arizona, USA ahead of the 2023 season.
At that time, there were six outfielders included in the list: Kim Seok-hwan, Kim Ho-ryeong, Na Seong-beom, Lee Chang-jin, Choi Hyeong-woo, and Socrates.
Lee Woo-sung was not there.
Lee Woo-sung, who has entered his 10th year as a professional, said, “I really tried to quit baseball after I was eliminated from spring camp ahead of the 2023 season. But I was so grateful that Coach Beom-ho Lee at the time kept telling me, ‘I can do it.’ “I was thinking about giving up, but the coach at the time didn’t give up and I was able to get my mind together,” he recalled of those difficult times.
Feeling frustrated, Lee Woo-sung visited Manager Lee Beom-ho, who was his batting coach at the time, and Manager Lee Beom-ho instilled hope in Lee Woo-sung, saying, ‘Believe in yourself and try again.’
▲Director Beom-ho Lee [KIA 타이거즈]
At the time, Coach Lee Beom-ho felt that Lee Woo-sung was playing baseball differently from the technical baseball he had learned so far, and he advised Lee Woo-sung, who was using the technique of hitting the ball at the time, to change his batting technique.
This was a task that completely changed the existing framework, but Lee Woo-sung was unable to change easily, saying, “I can’t do it,” due to what he had done so far.
At the time, Coach Lee Beom-ho said, “There is nothing that cannot be done,” and told Lee Woo-sung all year long.
Although the results did not come out in a short time, he continued to prepare, and in the 2023 season, when Manager Beom-ho Lee was in his second year as hitting coach, Woo-sung Lee was able to have a career-high season.
And in the 2024 season, which was his first year as coach and achieved a combined championship, Lee Woo-sung played a big role as a starter.
Lee Woo-sung said, “After hearing the manager’s story, baseball started to do well,” and added, “I wish I had heard those words a little earlier, but I still feel regretful.”
#KIA Tigers #Gwangju #Lee Beom-ho #Lee Woo-sung #Overwhelm the book Tigers
