[Sports Seoul | Reporter Kang Yunsik] Lee Jung-hoo, the captain, delivered a game-saving right-field play that stopped a late rally in its tracks. This season he shifted from center field to right field, prompting some concern — concerns that proved unwarranted for the 28-year-old San Francisco outfielder.
On the 9th at Tokyo Dome, South Korea faced Australia in the fourth Group C game of the WBC. Entering the bottom of the ninth with one out and a runner on first, Korea led 7-2. Although the team had secured the scenario needed to reach the quarterfinals, allowing another run could have undone it.
Rixon Wingrove drove a sharply hit ball that looked destined for the right-center gap, and Korea’s elimination suddenly felt possible. Lee slid smoothly and snared the liner, turning a probable score into an out. The game finished 7-2, sending Korea into the quarterfinals.
Reflecting on the play after the game, Lee said, "I wasn't thinking about anything. I just ran with the mindset that I had to catch it. Then the ball went into the lights. I guess I was really lucky."
Lee’s grab evoked memories of a famous WBC moment 20 years ago. In the first-round Korea-Japan game, with bases loaded and Korea trailing 0-2 in the bottom of the fourth, then-right fielder (and now national team hitting coach) Lee Jin-young dove to rob Tsuyoshi Nishioka and prevented a run — earning the nickname "the national right fielder." That same coach watched as Lee Jung-hoo produced a right-field play that saved the team two decades later.
This season, Lee shifted positions at the club level in San Francisco after Gold Glove center fielder Harrison Bader joined the roster. Lee moved from his familiar center field spot to right, and he adapted quickly — even recording an assist during spring games.
With the national team he had been in center again, moving to right when Park Hae-min entered the game. In the Australia match, Park came in as a late pinch-runner and then went to center, putting Lee in right field — where he made the decisive defensive play and reminded everyone of his impact.
"I felt I was lacking defensively last year, so I reflected a lot," Lee said. "That's what I focused on most over the winter. I trained hard at camp and thought carefully about what I needed to do in each situation. Making a big play in a big game gives me a lot of confidence."
Even after the position change, Lee proved his worth. Now the "Grandson of the Wind" sets his sights squarely on the WBC quarterfinals he’s long coveted, carrying that renewed confidence into the next round. skywalker@sportsseoul.com
