The Grandson of the Wind”: Lee Jeong-hoo’s Rise to Success with the San Francisco Giants

There is no shortage of praise for Lee Jeong-hoo (26, San Francisco Giants), ‘the grandson of the wind’. San Francisco hitting coach Pat Burrell (48), a former slugger who hit 292 home runs in his major league career and won the World Series twice, praised Lee Jeong-hoo so much that his mouth was dry.

On the 25th (hereafter referred to as Korean time), the US ‘San Francisco Chronicle’ asked ‘Do you want to see contact, speed, and fun? Under the title ‘Giants’ Lee Jeong-hoo is the cure for boring baseball’, ‘If swings and misses are an epidemic plaguing the major leagues, Lee Jeong-hoo can be the antidote. “I present Lee Jeong-hoo’s prescription for the boredom and inactivity that is prevalent today because of strikes,” he said, pointing to Lee Jeong-hoo as a player who adds fun to watching baseball with’ to extreme bat contact and speed.

The San Francisco Chronicle said, ‘Lee Jung-hoo looks like he’s playing T-ball. Before the game on the 25th, I had swung 37 times (including 1 pound attempt) in the last 5 games, but there was not a single missed swing. “His strikeout rate is 8.7%, the highest in the major leagues,” he said “San Francisco, which had failed to recruit free agents for several years, appears to have finally reached a solid deal .” “It’s only been a month since the season started, but things that seemed difficult to adjust to are going very well,” he praised.

Coach Burrell’s evaluation came next. Coach Burrell praised Lee, saying, “Lee Jung-hoo’s skill in hitting the ball with the bat is out of this world. I saw him work hard during spring training, and I saw him relax once the games started. Lee Jeong-hoo’s productivity has been steadily increasing and there has been no significant decline. “A batsman without many strikeouts is less likely to suffer a slump,” he said.

According to MLB Statcast, Lee Jeong-hoo saw a total of 375 pitches before the game on the 25th and had only 15 missed swings. The San Francisco Chronicle explained, ‘Lee Jeong-hoo, who uses a variety of swings depending on the situation, doesn’t just stop at hitting the ball,’ and unlike ordinary hitters, he’ n know how to apply force to the shot.

Regarding this, Lee Jeong-hoo said, “There is no secret. Ever since I was little, I always wanted to hit the ball. We tried to put every ball in play. “I think those skills are naturally ingrained in me,” he said.

Coach Melvin said, “It’s really impressive to do this against pitchers you don’t know. Every game, every series, he faces a new pitcher he’s never seen before. However, there are not many players who can swing the bat this consistently. “To do that quickly against faster pitches and unfamiliar pitchers at the major league level is pretty impressive.”

The San Francisco Chronicle also emphasized Lee Jeong-hoo’s mindset, saying, “Lee Jeong-hoo’s mental attitude is also one of the secrets of his early success.” Lee Jeong-hoo said, “Every major league pitcher is different. The balls I’m seeing now are different types of balls that I’ve never seen in my baseball life. “But every pitcher here is also human, and I work hard thinking I can hit the ball too.”

The coaching staff also recognized Lee Jung-hoo’s ability and did not touch him technically at all. When asked, ‘Have you taught Jeong-hoo Lee or changed anything in his swing or approach?’ Coach Burrell said, “Nothing.” “The first thing we all tried to do was to make Jeong-hoo Lee feel comfortable. Baseball comes second. Athletes have to get used to life. Much credit must be given to our players for this. They immediately accepted Lee Jeong-hoo. “I think it really helped Lee Jeong-hoo to feel like he was part of the team,” he said.

The San Francisco Chronicle said, ‘Lee Jung-hoo is fast enough to rank 10th in MLB sprint speed (based on Statcast), and his time to reach first base at home is also tied for 10th. Lee Jung-hoo recalled that his father, Lee Jong-beom, recorded 84 stolen bases in the 1994 KBO MVP season. As his father’s nickname was the Son of the Wind, Lee Jeong-hoo became the grandson of r Wind. “His throwing ability is also tied for 6th,” he said, giving high ratings for everything from outside defense to throwing ability.

As of the 26th, almost a month after the opening, Lee Jeong-hoo’s performance in 24 games is a .269 9.3 batting average (25 hits in 93 at-bats), 2 home runs, 7 RBI, 13 runs, 9 walks walks, 9 strikeouts, 2 stolen bases, an on-base percentage of .333, a slugging percentage of .366, and an OPS of .699. While not an impressive performance, the San Francisco coaching staff places a higher value on Lee Jeong-hoo’s skills and mindset during his adjustment process than on his simple records. Lee Jeong-hoo said, “I try to give 100% passion every time I play,” and added, “Everything I do here, from going to work to the stadium, is fun. “It feels like a dream come true,” he said, adding that he spends every day full of excitement.

/waw@osen.co.kr

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