While Lee Jung-hoo (25), the grandson of the wind, has achieved his dream of entering the Major League (MLB) by signing with the San Francisco Giants, his father Lee Jong-beom’s remarks five years ago that his son is more suitable for the Japanese league are drawing attention again.
U.S. media outlets such as MLB.COM and New York Post said on the 13th (Korea time) that “Lee Jung-hoo signed a six-year, $113 million (about 148.4 billion won) contract with San Francisco.” According to reports, the contract included an opt-out clause (to break the contract and become an FA) four seasons later.
As a result, Lee Jung-hoo, who was a member of the Kiwoom Heroes, was listed as the sixth Korean player to go straight from the KBO League to the big league through the posting system (closed competitive bidding) after Ryu Hyun-jin, Kang Jung-ho, Park Byung-ho, Kim Kwang-hyun, and Kim Ha-sung.
In the past, however, his father Lee Jong-beom was negative about his son’s advance to the big league. When asked on MBC’s “Radio Star,” which aired on January 2, 2019, Lee replied, “I don’t think I will send Lee Jung-hoo to the Major League.”
“When I see a swing, I see the future,” he said. “I told my son to become a neighborhood gangster rather than blindly going to the big leagues. Catch him first and do it next. Even if he gives me a lot of money, I go blindly, but if I’m not as good as I am (not good) as I am (not good at it). I like challenges. Realistically, however, I think Chung-hoo will send him to Japan.” 스포츠토토
“A person who hits 30 home runs is called a slugger, but a friend who hits one or two home runs is a one-base hit,” Lee said. “Some people around me say, ‘Jeong-hoo, you need to hit 20 home runs to increase your salary.’ I told him to tell me if he has such a friend.”
When news of Lee Jung-hoo’s move to the big league broke out, Internet users summoned Lee Jong-beom’s comment, saying, “My son who made his father not familiar with baseball,” and “Please do well because this comment could be re-evaluated again.” “Jeong-hoo,” “Lee Jung-hoo, who is actually becoming a neighborhood gangster, is amazing,” and “My father is anti-Korean.”
Meanwhile, Lee Jung-hoo’s $113 million is the highest ever in terms of posting money. The figure has surpassed the 36 million dollar mark for six years. His average annual salary is also about 18.83 million dollars, more than double the previous record of Kim Ha-sung (28 million dollars for four years).
