I’ll take responsibility, so you throw it. You guys are not responsible because I’m doing it with my autograph. I just say, ‘Just throw it.'”메이저놀이터
In the background of the SSG Landers’ young pitchers, there was a word from Lee Ji-young, the home manager.
The SSG, led by head coach Lee Soo-yong, defeated the Hanwha Eagles led by Choi Won-ho 4-3 in an away game of the 2024 professional baseball KBO League held at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on the 2nd. With this, the SSG, which has won two consecutive games and won three consecutive winning series at the same time, recorded 19 wins, one draw and 14 losses.
Lee Ji-young, who started as the eighth batter and catcher, played a brilliant game. He hit hard at the plate and led the pitchers’ good pitching with a brilliant pitching lead.
Lee’s bat went wild from the beginning of the game. In the top of the second inning when the two teams were tying 0-0 with runners on the second and third bases with one out, Lee hit a timely two-run homer by hitting left-handed starting pitcher Hwang Joon-seo’s three-pitch 125-kilometer fork.
Lee Ji-young, who grounded out to the second base in the top of the fourth inning, showed her presence again in the top of the sixth inning, when the two teams had a showdown. With no outs and runners on the first and second bases, the two teams tried to bunt Jang Min-jae, a right-handed pitcher of the Hanwha Eagles, on a fastball of 134 kilometers with two pitches.
The ball floated slightly, and Jang Min-jae tried to make a sliding catch to catch it, but it was bound. Third baseman Noh Si-hwan, who narrowly caught the ball, threw to third base to block second baseman Oh Tae-gon, who was rushing to third base, but all were ruled safe and loaded with no outs. The official record is fielder selection.
This sparked the finishing run. Choo Shin-soo, a pinch hitter who stepped up to the batter’s box, drew a walk. Lee Ji-young was out after fouling a first baseman at the last at-bat in the top of the eighth inning. The final result was one hit and two RBIs from three times at bat.
“(Lee) contributed significantly to her offense, including two-run timely hit and bunt in the early days of the game,” coach Lee Sung-yong said after the game. “The good pitching lead also played a big role in the victory,” he applauded.
“I’m not the type to aim. I thought so because I heard (Hwang Jun-seo) throws a lot of fork balls when he is in crisis,” Lee Ji-young said, referring to his timely two-run hit in the top of the second inning, “Hanwha (defensive) always comes in a lot (when bunt). I tried to take it slow, too. I did, but (second baseman) Tae-gon made a good judgment. I’m glad I survived.”
“I didn’t think I would get caught (at the first base) because it was far away. Still, it would be difficult for second base runners to survive if I run, and I think I succeeded because (Taegon) was so good,” he said.
Lee Ji-young also had a big presence as a catcher on the day. With his stable pitching lead, he helped Oh Won-seok (three runs in four innings), Ko Hyo-joon (win, one scoreless inning), Lee Rowoon (hole, one scoreless inning), Noh Kyung-eun (hole, one scoreless inning), Cho Byung-hyun (hole, one scoreless inning), and Moon Seung-won (se, one scoreless inning).
In particular, young pitchers such as Cho Byung-hyun and Lee Woo-woon have completely settled into the must-win group this season. There was one responsible word from Lee Ji-young.
Lee Ji-young said, “When the middle pitchers came out yesterday (on the 1st), there were not many crisis situations. Other than that, ‘I’ll take responsibility, so you throw it. You guys are not responsible because I’m doing it after signing. Just throw it.'”
“These are pitchers who throw close to 150 kilometers. They are also a control,” he said of the two pitchers. “Sometimes when I get excited, it comes out, but my role is to hold them,” he said. “Even when I throw fastballs, I cannot hit them. That one is really big weapon. (Group) Byung-hyun has a high release point (the point where he throws the ball), so batters swing or foul a lot on high fastballs. (Lee) Rowoon has strength in balls lower than high pitches. He pitches differently to the two players.”
Lee Ji-young continued, “[SSG] has settled down perfectly from the middle to the end, and the starters are giving a lot of points. I’m still not good enough, but I’m going to talk to the pitchers a little more,” and added, “I’m going to talk to them so that they can throw their own ball and stabilize the starters.”
Lee Ji-young, who joined the Samsung Lions as a reported player in 2008, has been wearing SSG uniforms since this season after playing for the Kiwoom Heroes. Until last year, he had a batting average of 0.279 with 16 homers and 368 RBIs and an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 0.654 in 1,270 games.
Lee is continuing her performance this year. She has a batting average of 0.304 (31 hits in 102 times at bat) and 14 RBIs in 32 games including the latest match against Hanwha Eagles, while serving as the main catcher. She may feel pressured because she is playing in many games.
Nevertheless, Lee said, “Honestly, I never thought I would play this much. (Lee Sung-yong) gives me a lot of opportunities and helps me a lot with the players. I am happy to play this much,” adding, “I am not as hot as I thought yet. I think I am still okay (physically). There are times when the bat is good and times when it is bad. Aside from that, I think it is still okay.”
It’s been a long time since I gave up my greed for personal performance. Instead, the team’s victory is the top priority for Lee Ji-young.
“(He has a batting average of .300), but he will break it anyways soon. My role is to send him an extra base so that he doesn’t get a minus, or to bunt his team. It’s not the type that I hit (hit). I’m trying to make my team go in a little bit in a good direction,” Lee Ji-young said.