Lee Jung-hoo (25), who returned home through Incheon International Airport on the 19th after joining the San Francisco Giants in the Major League, met with reporters and left a special message of gratitude to his father Lee Jong-beom and mother Jeong Yeon-hee, who have supported him for 25 years.
Lee Jung-hoo, who was nominated for the first time by the Nexen Heroes in the 2017 Rookie Draft, recorded a batting average of 344 65 homers, 515 RBIs, and 691 stolen bases in 884 games in the KBO League. He hit 349 with 193 hits, 23 homers and 113 RBIs in 142 games in the 2022 season, winning five titles in batting average (batting rate, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, RBIs, and most hits) and the regular season MVP. 슬롯머신
Lee has demonstrated his competitiveness in various international competitions, including the 2017 APBC (Asian Professional Baseball Championship), the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, the 2019 Premier 12, and the 2021 and 2023 WBC (World Baseball Classic). Seven years after his professional debut, Lee has become a South Korean superstar, not a son of Lee Jong-beom.
Lee Jung-hoo challenged the U.S., the “home of baseball,” to achieve his bigger dream, and on the 13th (Korea time), he hit a six-year $113 million jackpot with the San Francisco Giants, a traditional powerhouse in the National League West. Four years later, he became a major leaguer of his dreams by signing a mega contract that included an opt-out clause.
Lee attributed all these joys and glory to his parents, who looked only at him and supported him for 25 years. He seemed to be more grateful for his father and his mother, who had been silently dedicating herself to him than his father, Lee Jong-beom, who handed down baseball DNA.
“I am grateful to my father, but without my mother’s dedication, I could not have grown this much,” Lee said. “Of course, I helped my father a lot, but my mother did everything that my father couldn’t do for me when I was active. I am grateful to my mother.”
He also expressed his sincere feelings towards his father, Lee Jong-beom. “Of course, my father trusted me until now. I have never opposed to making any choice. Thank you.” Lee, who has signed a large-scale contract worth more than 140 billion won (126 million U.S. dollars) in Korean won, plans to repay his family’s love with a big gift soon.
“I want to do everything my parents ask me to do. But they are not like that because of my parents’ personality. I will prepare well and do well,” Lee said, expressing her extraordinary filial piety.