More eyes were on Jung-Hoo Lee (26-San Francisco Giants) than a 100-mph fireballer. The San Francisco press corps was right on the money with the “Grandson of the Wind.
Lee made his debut as a first baseman in center field in an exhibition game against the Seattle Mariners at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Aug. 28 (KST). It was his official major league debut after missing the first three games with a mild side soreness. The eyes of San Francisco fans and media alike were on Lee.
Living up to expectations, Lee led off the first inning with a single to right off Seattle’s All-Star pitcher George Kirby, pulling a three-pitch changeup on a two-strike count. After receiving a green light, Lee made a bold play at second base, rattling the opposing batter and forcing a fielding error. He then came home on Ramonte Wade Jr.’s single up the middle to score the first run of the game.
After a grounder to first base in the second and a swinging strikeout in the fourth, Lee finished his exhibition debut 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored. 안전놀이터 All eyes were on Lee during the local media’s clubhouse interviews, which began after the starters were replaced in the fourth and fifth innings.
More focus on Lee than Hicks, the 100-mph pitcher
In fact, the game also featured the debut of San Francisco’s other free agent signing. Jordan Hicks, 28, a right-hander known as a fireballer, also made his debut for the Giants, allowing two runs on two hits (one home run) in 1⅔ innings with one walk and four strikeouts. He gave up a two-run homer to Mitch Garber in the first inning, but he struck out four and walked none while throwing fastballs up to 100 mph (160.9 km/h).
The media caught up with Hicks inside the clubhouse. “I think I got a little excited in the first inning,” Hicks said. I threw it a little harder than I thought I was going to, and I looked at the speed gun and it was 98-99 mph, so I got a little excited. It was unfortunate that I threw 30 pitches in the first inning, but overall, it was a good start.”
After Hicks’ interview, the attention of the local media turned to Lee as he entered the clubhouse from the dugout. The San Francisco public relations team escorted more than 10 reporters to the entrance rather than inside the clubhouse. The space inside the clubhouse was tight, but it was also out of respect for the other players, as there was a lot of attention focused on Lee.
The local media in San Francisco were also bombarded with questions for Lee, and he was the main focus of their post-game coverage. Hicks was also covered, but less than half as much as Lee. The difference in salary between Lee, who cost $113 million over six years, and Hicks, who cost $44 million over four years, was bound to create a disparity in interest.
“He’s the grandson of the wind,” local media excitedly reported
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, wrote, “San Francisco’s new center fielder showed his table-setting ability in the first inning with a hit that set the stage for five runs. Kirby lined a ball to right field for his first hit in a Giants uniform, drawing a loud ovation from the crowd of 6418.
The San Francisco Chronicle also reported, “Lee was named the KBO League MVP in 2022, but he missed nearly all of last season’s final two months. He missed two months after undergoing ankle surgery in July, but looked good in the exhibition game. The grandson of the wind, as he is nicknamed, has good speed and said he will be actively trying to steal bases in the exhibition game,” the report said.
Another local publication, the Mercury News, also reported, “Lee and Hicks showed off different forms of speed. It didn’t take long for them to show why the team invested nearly $160 million in them,” and “Lee, nicknamed the Grandson of the Wind, flew around the bases when he ran. His helmet flew up in the air with him,” highlighting how his helmet kept coming off because it didn’t fit his Asian head, while also mentioning Korean infielder Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres), who had the same problem. Kim received a custom-made helmet in the middle of last year, and Lee is still waiting on one from the same company.
San Francisco manager Bob Melvin said he was “very excited” to hear Lee’s name called
Adding, “It was a long wait, a little delayed (due to side pain), but he looked pretty good in his first at-bat, getting a hit and scoring runs.” “He definitely has the speed. He had an ankle injury last year, so we were a little bit cautious, but from what we saw, he has good power. We’ll see what he can do on the bases. You never know what kind of havoc he can cause for opponents. He wants to be aggressive on the bases.”
“I wasn’t nervous, I’m more focused on adjustment than performance”
“It’s my first match in the U.S., but it’s also my first match in seven months, so it wasn’t bad for me,” Lee said in a post-match interview. I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be.” Lee Jung-hoo, who underwent surgery and rehabilitation for a damaged left ankle ligament at the end of July last year, played one at-bat as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning against the Samsung Lions in the final home game of the season on Oct. 22 last year as a member of the Kiwoom Heroes, but it was almost seven months since he played a full game against the Sasik Lotte Giants on July 22 last year as a farewell to the fans. He came to camp and focused on slowly building up his pace without overdoing it, saying, “I’m in good shape. I don’t have any pain thanks to good management. I think I rested well at the right time and healed perfectly.” He was also confident in the condition of his side.
“It’s good to open the game,” he said of his first-inning hit, “but there are a lot of games to come. I think I’ll have to adapt well and do what I need to do.” When asked about his bold baserunning play, he said, “The manager, the coach gave me the green light. I want to play a lot, so that’s why I played today. “I felt like my lower body was loosening up in the middle because I hadn’t played in a long time, but I think I’ll find the balance as I play. When I went to bat in the last at-bat, I felt like I couldn’t get a grip on my lower body because I hadn’t played in a long time. I felt like I was floating a little bit when I should have been firmly planted on the ground. I think it’s because I don’t feel like I’m playing well. There are a lot of exhibition matches left, so I think I need to catch up on those things,” he said.
Of course, there are still adjustments to be made.
He needs to get used to major league pitchers’ pitches a little more. When asked by a local reporter about the differences between KBO and Major League pitchers, he said, “The changeup speed,” and added, “It’s definitely different. The changeup speed is different, not to mention the fastball. I don’t know (about the pitch he struck out on in the fourth inning). I don’t think it was a splitter, but it had some break. It’s only one game, so I’ll have to face more pitchers before I can say for sure what it feels like.” For the outfield defense, the bright sun is also an adjustment: “I feel like the sky is too high, it’s too bright. When I came from Korea to the U.S. training camp, I struggled with that a little bit, too. It’s harder than in Korea to get a sense of distance when a pop fly comes down. That’s something I have to overcome. There are a lot of day games in the U.S., so it’s something I have to adapt to,” he said.
Coach Melvin told Lee to “do what you want to do,” and hoped that she would adapt as much as possible without worrying about her performance in the exhibition matches. Lee replied, “It’s important to do well or not, but I think adapting is the first priority. 카지노사이트 추천 I will focus on adapting while only thinking about what I need to do when I go out to play.” “This is Major League Baseball, not Korea. I’m sure there will be more situations where I won’t be able to hit, but I think adapting is more important than my performance right now. I want to swing a lot, get a lot of outs, and get a lot of hits,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lee was given a day off on Sept. 29, missing the team’s road game against the Oakland Athletics at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona. San Francisco lost 4-7 to Oakland, dropping its record to 3-2 in exhibition games and delaying its first win again. The Giants will look for their first win of the season on March 1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale.
