Lee Jung-hoo (26, San Francisco Giants), who succeeded in advancing to the U.S. with the best treatment among Korean players ever after winning the KBO League, chose “adaptation” as his first goal.
Lee Jung-hoo signed a six-year, $113 million contract with San Francisco at the end of last year.
Lee Jung-hoo easily exceeded the six-year $36 million (about 47.3 billion won) recorded by Ryu Hyun-jin when he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2012.마카오카지노도메인
Expectations for Lee Jung-hoo are also high in the U.S. MLB.COM on Monday introduced key points of 30 MLB teams for the 2024 season, and cited Lee Jung-hoo’s batting average as a task for San Francisco’s success or failure.
In addition, most local media are expressing their expectations by delivering small news such as Lee Jung-hoo’s nickname, family relationship, and dog.
Adding to the huge amount of contracts and local expectations, Lee added a lot of pressure and responsibility to his shoulders. However, Lee is determined to focus only on adaptation without much burden.
“I have a lot of responsibility because I think that I can be treated well like I was able to be treated well because (Kim) Ha-sung did a good job,” Lee told reporters before leaving for Arizona. “But I don’t have any burden on local people.”
“I know there are a lot of good prediction articles coming out locally, but I don’t care about that either,” he said, stressing, “I think the priority is that I adapt well early.”
The media and fans are curious about how Lee Jung-hoo will perform in his first year in the U.S. Everything is of interest, including batting average, RBI, hits, and home runs.
However, Lee Jung-hoo himself did not set a numerical goal. First and second, I think adaptation is important.
Lee Jung-hoo said, “(Kim) Ha-sung told me that when I come to the U.S., I will hit a pitch that I have never seen before,” but I am not afraid unless the pitcher hits me. “I want to feel it faster and adapt,” Lee said. “I didn’t even set a goal for the first year. I will adjust first and gradually make my average figure.”
Fluent English is essential for Lee Jung-hoo to adapt well. His performance can be improved only when he can hang out with his colleagues outside the stadium without hesitation. Lee Jung-hoo’s English is not good yet, but he plans to upgrade through tutoring in the United States.
Lee Jung-hoo emphasized, “I studied English for about two hours a day when I was in Korea, but I didn’t improve because I didn’t use it in my daily life. In the United States, you can use what you have learned in the real world, so you will learn English quickly and get along well with your colleagues.”
The reason why Lee Jung-hoo is heading to the U.S. ahead of the San Francisco spring camp schedule is because of his adaptation. He wants to melt into the local climate and training infrastructure quickly. The club is also trying to fully help Lee Jung-hoo, who is an “expensive body,” adapt.
Lee Jung-hoo said, “I recently had a Zoom meeting with the coach, coach, and power analysis team leader. He said he would actively help me adapt well,” adding, “I am grateful for your interest and support. I will go to the new team and prepare well and repay you with good grades.”