Kiwoom slugger Lee Jung-hoo made another league history.
Lee started at third base against LG at the Gocheok Sky Dome on April 8 and got on base in his first at-bat in the top of the first inning with the score tied 0-0.
He hit a double to left-center field against LG starter Kim Yoon-sik, bringing home both runners. This gave Lee his 500th career RBI. He is the 110th player in KBO history to do so.
He is the third-youngest player ever to do so. At 24 years, 9 months, and 19 days, Lee became the third-youngest player in history to reach 500 RBIs, joining Lee Seung-yeop (23 years, 8 months, 1 day) and Kim Ha-seong (24 years, 8 months, 14 days).
Lee went 2-for-4 with a home run in the first inning, a double, three RBIs and two runs scored in the team’s 13-0 victory.
After the game, Lee said it was “meaningful” to be recognized alongside the likes of Lee Seung-yeop and Kim Ha-seong. “From my rookie year to my third year, I hit almost exclusively as a table-setter. I was the type of player who couldn’t be called a mid- to long-range hitter,” he reflected.
After hitting 47 RBIs in 2017, his rookie season, Lee hit 57 in 2018, 68 in 2019, and 101 in 2020, his first 100-RBI season 스포츠토토.
“When I was 23 years old, I started to get a lot of RBIs by hitting some long balls and hitting center field, and now my name can be mentioned alongside ‘national hitter’ and ‘major leaguer,'” he said.
He also thanked Kiwoom manager Hong Won-ki for giving him the role of No. 1 hitter since May when he was struggling this season and allowing him to get more at-bats. “As a No. 1 hitter, it’s okay except that it’s hard to breathe during the preparation process after playing defense in the outfield,” Lee said. “He told me to bat a lot and get a feel for the game, which helped me a lot. I’m grateful to the coach.”
Coach Hong Won-ki praised Lee Jung-hoo generously, saying, “In the first inning, he hit a two-run double to ignite the team’s batting.”