“(Choi) Hyung-woo did it as a joke…”
Kia Tigers standby star Lee Woo-sung, 29, popped out to shortstop with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning of a 5-4 win over the Gwangju Lotte Giants on Wednesday. 안전놀이터He had already done his part as the No. 5 center fielder with a two-run double to right-center field in the bottom of the third inning.
However, Lee said, “I apologized to the team for hitting a double. This time, I waited for Socrates to steal a base. My heart was right. I wanted to hit it unconditionally, because yesterday (Nov. 11 against Gwangju Kiwoom) I went 0-for-5.” The situation he was referring to was the bottom of the seventh inning, when the game was tied 5-5. With the bases loaded and one out, Lee took a curveball, which allowed Socrates, the runner on first base, to get into scoring position.
Lee couldn’t pass up the opportunity. In the end, Lee pulled a curveball on a full count against Choi Jun-yong for a game-winning RBI single to left field. He went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs as Kia maintained a two-game lead over Doosan and kept its hopes of a fifth-place finish alive.
The game seemed to encapsulate Lee’s entire season, which is why he’s been so nutritious this year. In 123 games this season, he’s batting .305 with 105 hits in 344 at-bats, eight home runs, 55 RBIs, 39 runs scored, a .791 OPS, and a .313 slugging percentage. He’s been the go-to guy to fill the void left by Choi Hyung-woo and Na Sung-beom, whose seasons were cut short by injuries.
Lee said, “I have to make sure I don’t miss any scoring opportunities. I tried to calm down and hit an outfield fly. In the past, I had a lot of thoughts in scoring position, and the results were not good, but as the coach believed in me and I kept going to the plate, my tension and anxiety disappeared. I felt more relaxed.”
It was her first full-time start since her debut. He had been a backup for a while after the full lineup was established, but he was so used to being a backup that it wasn’t difficult to maintain his hitting. The commentators praised him for being the most consistent batsman this season and for having a good batting stance.
I got my first 100-hit season in my debut, and I got a lot of congratulations and coffee thrown around. He had the support of his wife and thanked his teammates. “I got so many congratulations that I threw coffee around. “My wife is a down-to-earth person, so she tells me strongly and realistically. She also tells me to keep my head up.”
He is also thankful for Choi Hyung-woo and Na Sung-bum, who are still with the team despite being out with injuries. “Sung-bum asks my brother a lot of questions. He tells me everything. When I don’t feel good (batting), he makes fun of me and lets me off the hook.”
Yang Hyun-jong calls himself a “five-star shooter” because his teammates, including captain Kim Sun-bin, Na Sung-beom, Choi Hyung-woo, and Park Chan-ho, encourage him before and after games. This makes Lee Woo-sung, the center fielder, feel responsible and grateful. KIA is hoping for a miracle, albeit a difficult one, and is actually hoping for a fifth-place finish with all of their remaining games.
Now it’s on to Jamsil against Doosan on the 13th. This is the most important game of the season. If they win, they will challenge for fifth place until the end, and if they lose, they are the first team to be eliminated. Lee Woo-sung said, “It’s a match against my family, but I don’t really think about it. I’ll stay calm and do my part.” Kia is a power leaky team, but they have a star in waiting, so they are still hanging in there and moving forward little by little.