Lee Dae-ho is opening his wallet to promote baseball’s growth. Lee is heading to the U.S. with Han Dong-hee and Jung-hoon (Lotte infielder). He plans to entrust technical guidance to Kang Jung-ho, a former Pittsburgh Pirates infielder who is well versed in batting guidance. All expenses are borne by Lee. Lee truly believes that younger players can spend as much as they want if they are good at baseball.
Han Dong-hee, a native of Kyungnam High School, made his professional debut with Lotte’s first nomination in 2018 and drew attention as a post-Lee Dae-ho, hitting double-digit home runs for three consecutive years starting in 2020. Lee asked Han Dong-hee at his retirement game in October last year, “My uncle is leaving, but please be the hero of Lotte fans.”
Han Dong-hee is expected to succeed Lee Dae-ho’s No. 4 hitter in this season. However, he had a batting average of 223 percent (71 hits in 319 times at bat), five homers, 32 RBIs and 30 runs scored in 108 games this season. He suffered a severe blow to his pride, as he was informed of his move to the second division.
“There is a clear reason why I am taking Dong-hee with me. Players often doubt whether their skills are certain or not, even though they already have skills. If I am not sure, I tend to think about other things.” 슬롯머신
“I think it’s right to take (Kang) Jung-ho to Jung-ho, who succeeded in the Major League and is rumored to have a good batting theory.” He added, “Since (Son) A-seop went to Jung-ho and showed good results and everyone says Jung-ho teaches well, Dong-hee’s words will have a synergy effect if he has confidence in his skills.”
“One word of coaching can completely change the situation. It will be a great help for me to play baseball forever,” Lee said smiling. “As a fan of Lotte, I think I would be more proud if Dong-hee and Hoon do well.”
Expecting that Han Dong-hee and Jung-hoon would grow further through the U.S. training, Lee said, “I think it is a stepping stone to become better players. I am playing the role of letting go of that stepping stone,” adding, “Let’s not talk about money. It’s a waste. If things go well, I will buy you a meal.”