I don’t mind the pouring stares at all. Lee Jeong-hoo (25, Kiwoom) coolly digests the hot interest after the announcement of entering the major leagues. Thinking that the evaluation of himself has already ended, he thoroughly separates ‘Lee Jung-hoo, a national representative’ from ‘Lee Jung-hoo, a major league challenger’.
On the 19th, Lee Jung-hoo of the baseball team, who is training in Tucson, Arizona, USA, said, “I don’t want to let people know about myself through national team games.”
Lee Jung-hoo declared that he would try to advance to the major leagues through the posting system after this season. Scott Boras has been appointed as a local agent and preparations for a major league contract have begun.
Major League scouts also visited Kiwoom’s spring camp where Lee Jung-hoo was training, and on the 17th, when he had his first real match after joining the national team, scouts from nine clubs visited and watched the game. Lee Jung-hoo recorded no hits in two at-bats that day.
Regarding this, Lee Jung-hoo said, “I wasn’t conscious at all (of the major league scouts’ visit). In fact, I heard that the 먹튀검증evaluation was already over for me. He might come to see the other players, and if he sees me, I think he’s just curious to see how I’m doing.” Through the advice of an agent who is familiar with the local club and the contract situation, Lee Jung-hoo is also thorough in ‘mental management’.
There are many expectations that the World Baseball Classic (WBC), a stage watched by the world, will be a ‘showcase’ for Lee Jung-hoo to enter the major leagues. Lee Jung-hoo denies this.
Lee Jung-hoo said, “I think it will be a showcase for other players interested in advancing to the US, such as Go Woo-seok, Jung Woo-young, Kang Baek-ho, and Kim Hye-seong, rather than me.” “It is a national team game. I don’t think that I should let people know about myself through this game. I am only thinking about winning the team. I only want to win,” he stressed.
Ahead of an important season, Lee Jung-hoo revised his batting form recently. Before camp, he practiced succinctly adjusting his batting form to improve his swing speed at personal training in Los Angeles. It is also a practice period for perfect adaptation. Lee Jung-hoo said, “I came to the national team after failing to hit the pitcher’s ball once in his team. He tries to think of the national team practice game in the United States as live betting. Even when he goes to Japan, he plays practice matches. I will try to find the most comfortable thing in the changed form while doing everything I want to do in the future practice game.”
Lee Jung-hoo was also a young player at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but he was the main hitter for the national team. The same goes for the WBC team this time. Lee Jung-hoo said, “I am preparing with the same mindset as I did for the Tokyo Olympics. However, what is special about this time is that there are many people my age. In future international competitions, we will gradually have to take on the role of our seniors, so I hope we do well starting with this competition.”
Lee Jung-hoo said, “The biggest goal right now is to come back to the United States (to advance to the semifinals), and before that, I’m only thinking about winning against Australia. Since the match against Japan is right after that, I am only thinking of winning against Australia unconditionally.”