Hyungjong Lee (34, Kiwoom Heroes) was the protagonist of the opening two matches between Kiwoom and Hanwha Eagles held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 1st and 2nd. In Game 1, he became a solver with a hit at the end of the 10th inning, and in Game 2, he scored 4 hits. The 4 hits is the most tied record for an individual in a single game. It has been 1769 days since the Busan Lotte Giants match on May 29, 2018.
Moreover, most of the 4 hits came when it was decisive. The first hit was a large double to widen the one-run lead to two, and the second hit was a double to regain the lead in a tie. The last hit laid the foundation for a push-off walk. It was one RBI and one point, but the contribution was more than that.토토사이트
Lee Hyeong-jong, the protagonist of the opening series, was closer to the second team than the first until last year. At one time, he even hit 4 times with his home team, the LG Twins, but his performance has been sluggish for the past two years. In particular, he played in only 26 games last year and had a batting average of 0.218 and 7 RBIs.
While Lee Hyeong-jong was sluggish, outfield competition intensified. In 2021, Hong Chang-ki won the Outfielder Golden Glove. In the winter of that year, LG renewed the contract with Kim Hyun-soo as a free agent (FA) and recruited Park Hae-min. In addition to having three national team-level outfielders, major hitters such as Moon Sung-joo and Lee Jae-won were also outfielders. Chae Eun-seong and Lee Jae-won had to move to first base.
In the end, Lee Hyung-jong left after the end of last season in search of an opportunity as a free agent in the Futures (second team) league. With several clubs interested, Kiwoom recruited him for 4 years and 2 billion won.
The opportunity given by Kiwoom to Hyungjong Lee was like sweet rain. After the game on the 2nd, Lee Hyeong-jong said, “I was able to feel it when I came to develop the belief that I could continue playing. He wanted to repay that trust,” he said. It was a word that naturally reminded me of the situation where I was not given a chance at LG.
Kiwoom also needed a heterogeneous species. Among the outfielders, only last year’s MVP (Most Valuable Player) Lee Jung-hoo had a high-level bat. This is why the Kiwoom club also smiles with Hyungjong Lee.
Kiwoom coach Hong Won-ki said, “It will mean a lot to Hyung-jong Lee. In the demonstration game, the motivation was too high, and the desire to solve it must have been great. In the future, he will be a great help to our batting line.” Director Hong also felt Lee Hyung-jong’s eagerness to prove his skills.
If Hyungjong Lee maintains this pace in the remaining 142 games of the regular season, the ‘cost performance’ enjoyed by Kiwoom will inevitably be great. Lee Hyung-jong pledged, “I will try to maintain the good feeling of hitting the end of the 1st and 4 hits on the 2nd as much as possible (for a long time).”