LG Twins’ “Jamsil Big Boy” Lee Jae-won made an agile play at the plate to pull off a delayed home run. Lee Jae-won is a big guy at 6-foot-3, 192 pounds, and he’s confident in his ability to run the bases, saying, “My feet are fast.”
Lee started in left field at No. 8 against Kiwoom at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on March 13. He went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, and made two crucial stolen bases early in the game.
In the second inning, when LG took a 3-2 lead, Lee Jae-won led off with a single up the middle. Park Hae-min then stole second base. He quickly advanced to third when a pitch from Kiwoom pitcher Kim Dong-gyu was hit by the catcher’s arm and rolled not far behind him. Hong Chang-ki drew a walk to put runners on first and third.
A double steal sign came from the LG bench. With Shin Min-jae at bat, Hong Chang-ki tried to steal second, and when the catcher threw to second, Lee Jae-won, who was at third, rushed home like a shot. The shortstop threw home again after receiving the throw from the catcher at second base, but Lee was quicker. Safe with time to spare.
When asked if he felt “exhilarated” when he made the home run, Lee said, “It was good to be able to help the team win,” a rather modest comment.
After receiving instructions from third base coach Park Yong-geun, he calmly watched the opposing battery. “The catcher told me to throw to second base and if the pitcher didn’t catch it (by cutting it in the middle), to run home, but I saw (pitcher) Dong-gyu leaning down, so I ran home,” Lee explained.
When asked if it was his first home run, Lee Jae-won said, “I did it many times in elementary and middle school. I have fast feet,” he laughed. Even as a professional, Lee Jae-won often insisted that his feet were fast, not slow. He is confident in his base running, running from first to third base when stealing and hitting.
Lee Jae-won is listed as 192 centimeters and 100 kilograms on his profile. He may seem like a slow runner, but he has a long stride and accelerates when he runs. He has 11 stolen bases in three seasons since 2021.
Lee Jae-won applied to the Sangmu Baseball team last fall to serve in the military, but withdrew his application before the announcement of his acceptance. He delayed his enlistment because new manager Yoon Kyung-yeop thought highly of Lee’s long bat and wanted to develop him into a big bat.
However, he suffered an oblique muscle injury in spring training and was hampered by another one during an exhibition game. He returned to action in early May and began to hit for power, but a day after hitting his third home run of the season on May 24, he suffered another thigh muscle injury. When he returned in mid-June, he didn’t show the same power. He was pushed out of the internal competition and used as a pinch hitter and substitute.
Lee said, “It took me a long time to rehabilitate from my injury and regain my batting feel. The moment I got injured, it wasn’t easy. I thought a lot and was a bit shaky,” he said, reflecting on the difficult time.먹튀검증
Lee is 6-for-14 with a home run and four RBIs in seven games in August. He’s been hitting well in his limited playing time.
Against Kiwoom on Aug. 13, Lee drove in two runs with two stolen bases, singled to left in the third inning, scored on a passed ball in the fourth inning, and hit an RBI single to left in the seventh inning with runners on second and third. It was his second three-hit game of the season.
“I’ve been feeling good at the plate lately. I’m trying to keep the good feeling going,” Lee said. On being a backup or substitute, Lee said, “It’s tough, but for the team to win, the best player has to go out. I have to prepare a lot. If I continue to prepare and do well, I think I can get another chance.”