San Francisco Giants’ Lee Jeong-hoo Prepares for Debut as Team’s Leadoff Hitter

SF Lee Jeong-hoo leaving the country

Lee Jeong-hoo (San Francisco Giants) made his debut in the U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) as the first batter in the opening game.

According to NBC Sports Bay Area and the San Francisco Chronicle on the 15th (Korean time), San Francisco manager Bob Melvin said in an interview with local reporters, “It would be shocking if Lee Jung-hoo does not appear as the number one hitter in the opening game.”

There is still more than a month left until the opening game, and the exhibition game has not even started, but the head coach has early selected Lee Jeong-hoo as the top hitter.

They are also not considering a platoon system that alternates between left and right-handed batters depending on the type of pitcher. Manager Melvin announced that he plans to use Lee Jeong-hoo as the number one hitter against both left-handed and right-handed pitchers.

Manager Melvin already announced his intention to hire Lee Jeong-hoo as the number one hitter at the end of last year. He said, “I am thinking about Lee Jeong-hoo becoming the team’s top hitter,” and “there is no reason not to,” expressing his trust in the ‘attacking spearhead’ Lee Jeong-hoo.

Regarding Coach Melvin’s hiring policy, Lee Jeong-hoo scolded himself, saying, “I never dreamed of something like that. Now that I’ve heard that, I have to work harder to achieve that goal.”

Coach Melvin is also impressed that Lee Jeong-hoo, who is receiving a lot of attention, is not bothered by this and is quickly integrating into the team.

Coach Melvin explained the atmosphere of spring training, saying, “The atmosphere surrounding Lee Jeong-hoo is very hot,” and “Lee Jeong-hoo and we are also accepting it.”

“I met many famous Japanese players and even played with Kim Ha-seong at the San Diego Padres. To me, it’s surprising how quickly Lee Jung-hoo is adapting and how comfortable he is,” he said, praising Lee Jung-hoo’s ability to adapt.

He continued, “He jokes well with the players. It usually takes him some time to get used to it, but he’s the kind of person you can easily have a conversation with. Everything has been great so far.”

San Francisco’s regular season opening game, in which Lee Jeong-hoo has already booked the ‘number one hitter’ spot, will be held against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego, California, USA, on the 29th of next month.

Ha-seong Kim is also likely to appear as San Diego’s number one hitter, so a showdown between Jeong-hoo Lee and Ha-seong Kim as the ‘top Korean hitter’ could also take place. Lee Jeong-hoo expressed his anticipation for the opening match with Kim Ha-seong, saying, “It will be a historic moment for Korean baseball.”

Lee Jung-hoo, who played in the KBO League until last year, signed a six-year, $113 million contract with San Francisco at the end of last year and moved to the United States. Lee Jeong-hoo, who is about to make a new start, emphasized, “Because I have never played in the major leagues, I need to adapt as quickly as possible and help the team. My goal is to play in many exhibition games.”

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2024-02-15 02:03:00

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