casinositeguide's Blog
:
May 2024
A genius shortstop gets serious, says 'come down' after hitting multiple home runs
POSTED ON
05/24/24
"There are guys coming up from below, and I'm getting older..."
The days of being called a genius shortstop are long gone. He's 34 years old. Lee Hak-joo, an infielder for the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization, has been taking the field more and more seriously and cautiously. He reminds himself to "calm down" every day, every game.
On April 24, Lee hit two home runs against the KIA Tigers at Sajik Stadium in Busan to lead his team to a 10-6 victory. It was Lee's second career multi-homer game in five years and 1885 days after his multi-homer game against Sasik Lotte on March 27, 2019, when he was a member of Samsung.
With the bases loaded and the score 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Lee took a 139-kilometer fastball from Kia's Yoon Joong-hyun over the center field fence for a solo shot. It was Masu-girl's first home run of the season, making the score 5-2.
Then, in the bottom of the eighth inning, while trailing 8-4, she hit a grand slam. She came to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth and launched a five-pitch, 145-kilometer fastball over the right field wall on a three-pitch, one-strike count. It extended the lead to 9-4 and put a real wedge in the game.
There's only one thing Lotte wants from Lee Hak-joo. Steady, solid defense. 스포츠토토 He has the widest defensive range and the strongest shoulders in the team's infield. His defensive talent itself is outstanding. However, lapses in concentration and rushes were the reason why Lee's defense was underrated.
This is changing with coach Kim Min-ho. Coach Kim has consistently asked Lee to play steady defense, and Lee is now playing every game as a starter because of his steady defense. Lee has started 10 games in a row since his resignation from LG Electronics on Nov. 11. In all but one game, he has played shortstop.
In fact, Lee didn't even make the opening roster and was a late addition to the first team, where he didn't earn the trust of manager Kim Tae-hyung even after hitting a five-hit shutout. He went 0-for-12 in seven games before being dropped from the first team again on April 21, but his batting average was still 3-for-6 at the time.
He was designated for assignment to the second team. After his first-team suspension, he was reactivated and went 8-for-13 with a home run and seven RBIs in four games. On May 11, he was called up to the first team again.
He hasn't been hitting like he used to. However, he is now showing the reliable defense we've come to expect from him.
"I was very stressed," Lee said of his multi-homer day. I didn't even know if the first home run was a home run, and I played hard, but it felt so good to go over the fence." "I was stressed before today's game, so I went to Coach Lim Hoon and said, 'Please give me a lesson,' so I think I was comfortable when I went to bat today," he said of his home run.
He also thanked coach Kim Tae-hyung. He said, "Coach Kim pays so much attention to me. I always practice batting with a new mindset, but he kept asking me to reach the ball concisely rather than leg kicks, and although it didn't happen at first, I kept trying and focusing on it, so I think it paid off today," Lee explained.
For Lee, the home runs are a bonus. Despite the stress of hitting, he didn't forget about his defense. He pointed out his defensive shortcomings on the day. "I want to be a player who helps our pitchers more than hitting two home runs," he said, adding, "I apologize to (Kim) Min-sung for missing the call play today. I apologize to Wilkerson for making him throw more pitches. I need to be a player who helps out by doing the little things on defense." In the top of the third inning, Na Sung-beom's infield hit collided with third baseman Kim Min-sung. Kim made the call to catch the ball, but the two collided and the out was lost.
Even so, Lee reminded himself to calm down. "If I don't calm down, I don't know what else will happen. I try to be as stable as possible and play defense to help the pitcher," he says, adding, "I analyze where the other team's hitters hit a lot and practice a lot."
Lee vowed to continue playing for the team as long as he can and to the best of his ability. "I'm getting older and there are younger players coming up through the ranks. I have to play baseball seriously now," he said, adding, "I don't think I'm the main shortstop, but when I still have energy, I will help the players by running around as much as possible in defense and covering a wide range."
He also volunteered for the final camp last year to try and prove himself in Kim Tae-hyung's system. His determination and mindset hasn't changed. Lee Hak-joo is now looking to continue his career in the first team by taking care of himself seriously and carefully.
