I wonder if the player who was really released is right. There is no such thing as a belly button.메이저사이트
Another ‘release myth’ has appeared in Lotte. It is Lee Jung-hoon (29). His sharp bat foreshadows Lotte’s counterattack in August. Now, even if he puts his name on the center batting line, there is no awkwardness at all.
Lee Jung-hoon wore a KIA uniform with the 94th overall pick in the 10th round in the 2017 KBO Rookie Draft. His original position was catcher. However, until 2020, his fourth year as a pro, the number of hits he recorded in the first team was all four. The season in which Lee Jung-hoon received the most opportunities during his KIA days was 2021, and he made his name known little by little by appearing in 41 games and recording a batting average of .248, 2 home runs and 14 RBIs. faded
In the end, Lee Jung-hoon had to leave KIA. He received a notice of release from KIA. The club that reached out to Lee Jung-hoon, who had lost his place to go, was Lotte. Lee Jung-hoon signed a contract with Lotte for an annual salary of 40 million won and promised a new start.
In fact, when Lee Jung-hoon joined Lotte, he was not a player that attracted much attention. In particular, Lotte recruited a large number of released players such as Kim Sang-soo, Ahn Kwon-soo, Yoon Myung-jun, Cha Woo-chan, and Shin Jeong-rak, but among them, Lee Jung-hoon had the lowest name value. Ahn Kwon-soo and Kim Sang-soo were the first to receive attention among Lotte’s released players. These are the players who led Lotte’s initial blast.
Even in the first half, Lee Jung-hoon stayed longer in the second group. Lotte decided that Lee Jung-hoon was a player with an advantage in batting, and tried to transform his position in the second team, such as an outfielder and a first baseman. Lee Jung-hoon, who left a batting average of .288 with 2 homers and 26 RBIs in the Futures League, had a chance to rise to the first team only at the end of the first half.
On the 12th of last month, Lotte started an attack in the top of the 9th inning, trailing 1-11 against Changwon NC. In a situation where Seungri had already crossed the water, Lee Jung-hoon was given a chance to play as a pinch hitter. Then Lee Jung-hoon announced a splendid appearance by hitting a superior solo home run. He hit a home run in his first at-bat wearing a Lotte uniform.
Maybe it wasn’t the reason he could survive in the first team in the second half. When Lee Jung-hoon played an active role in the game against Sajik Kiwoom on the 22nd of last month, the first game of the second half, with 2 hits in 4 at-bats, Lotte gave Lee Jeong-hoon the next day, the 23rd, as the 4th hitter and gave him strength. At the time, Lotte coach Larry Sutton said, “Lee Jung-hoon continues to show good sense at bat even after the call-up to the first team,” explaining the reason for hiring Lee Jeong-hoon as the fourth hitter. Lee Jung-hoon also played an active part in this game with 1 hit and 1 point in 3 at-bats.
Lee Jung-hoon’s outstanding bat became the biggest reason he could remain in the first team. The moment Lee Jung-hoon’s presence was re-emphasized was the three-week series against Kiwoom held on the 8th and 10th. On the 8th, in the match against Gocheok Kiwoom, Lee Jung-hoon scored a multi-hit with 2 hits in 4 at-bats, and on the 9th, he exploded with 3 hits in 4 at-bats and 1 point. Accordingly, Lotte appointed Lee Jeong-hoon as the designated hitter three times on the 10th, and Lee Jung-hoon succeeded in ‘5 on base’ with 3 hits, 2 walks, 1 RBI, and 2 runs in 4 at-bats, leading the team’s winning series while collecting 8 hits during 3 consecutive matches. His batting average also soared to .462 (18 hits in 39 at-bats).
On this day, Lee Jeong-hoon hit Chan-Heon Jeong’s 127km forkball in the first inning with 1st base and hit Chan-Heon Jeong’s 127km forkball, and in the top of the 2nd inning, Chan-Heon Jeong threw a 128km forkball in the chance for 2nd out and 1st and 3rd base. He also posted valuable RBIs to achieve . Not stopping there, in the top of the 4th inning, with 2 outs, he attacked Jeong Chan-heon’s 132 km two-seam fastball and hit a double in the middle left to hit Chan-heon Jeong. The bat really moved freely with any ball. Afterwards, Kiwoom pitchers who met Lee Jung-hoon couldn’t help but shake the control, and Lee Jung-hoon completed the ‘5 on-base game’ by adding two walks without difficulty. Lotte won 12-8 and finished 3 consecutive matches during the week with 2 wins and 1 loss, holding the winning series in its arms.
Perhaps Lotte has a limited range to utilize Lee Jung-hoon. This is because Lee Jung-hoon is not yet fully ripe for a new position. However, Lotte cannot give up Lee Jung-hoon, who boasts the hottest hitting feeling in the team. Whether it’s a designated hitter or an outfielder, I want to utilize Lee Jung-hoon somehow. Coach Sutton also said, “Since there are many players on the team who are good at defense, Lee Jung-hoon is giving strength to the batting side.” In this way, Lee Jung-hoon is blossoming a new baseball life in the new team Lotte.
Lotte achieved a winning series that day by storming off with 18 hits and 12 points, but it still has a long way to go. Lotte, which is in 7th place with a season record of 45 wins and 50 losses, is chasing 5th place Doosan by 4 games. It is never the time to let go of hope. Will Lotte’s counterattack in August become a reality? Now, Lee Jung-hoon is standing at the forefront. This is the beginning of a new Lotte edition release myth.