Lotte Ho-joon, Hanwha Woolin, did you hear a storm of compliments from the master?"A young player should have this kind of taste"
Lotte Ho-joon, Hanwha Woolin, did you hear a storm of compliments from the master?"A young player should have this kind of taste"
Blog Article
Lotte Giants infield prospect Lee Ho-joon once again showed his crazy presence. He completely filled up the mistakes in defense with a hit and played a decisive role in the team's three-game winning streak.토토사이트
Lee Ho-joon started as the seventh batter and shortstop in Game 2 between the teams against the Hanwha Eagles in the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 3rd and scored two hits, one walk and two points in three at-bats.
Lee Ho-joon made an error in defense in the bottom of the fourth inning when his team was tying 0-0. He chased Kim Tae-yeon's fly ball to the outfield with no runners on the day, but he made a catch error. Starting pitcher Na Kyun-an, who had been showing good pitching, was on the verge of being on the second base with one out due to Lee Ho-joon's error.
Lee Ho-joon was relieved by Na's good pitching. Na struck out Im Jong-chan and Choi Jae-hoon with runners on second and one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, and ended the inning without losing a point.
Lee Ho-joon also reciprocated Na Kyun-an's outstanding pitching. In his second at-bat when he was on the first base with no outs in the top of the fifth inning, he hit a double off Hanwha ace Cody Ponce that hit the right fence. By linking chances at the second and third bases, he changed the course of the game.
After Lee Ho-joon's double, Jeon Min-jae struck out, but with one out, Information Keun hit an RBI timely hit to get the first run. Jeon added another run on an RBI sacrifice fly to take a 2-0 lead.
Lee Ho-joon had another accident at his last at-bat in the top of the ninth inning when Lotte was keeping a thin ice lead at 3-2. He came out as the leadoff batter and hit a triple to Hanwha veteran Han Seung-hyuk.
Lee Ho-joon then dug into the home plate when Information-geun hit a grounder to shortstop with one out and third base, giving Lotte an extra run. Lotte ended the game with closing pitcher Kim Won-joong silencing Hanwha's last resistance in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung initially appointed veteran Park Seung-wook as the starting shortstop for the 2025 season. However, as Park fell into a hitting slump after the opening of the pennant race, Lee Ho-joon had a chance.
Starting with the Sajik KT Wiz match on the 30th of last month, Lee Ho-joon was listed in the starting lineup for three consecutive games until the Hanwha match. On the 2nd, he also showed a performance of "dominating" the game the next day, while he was flying with a multi-hit, RBI and one run, including a triple.
Coincidentally, coach Kim Tae-hyung publicly praised Lee ahead of the match against Hanwha. "I don't have high expectations on offense, but I'm using him as the starting pitcher because he has the best defense among (first-tier) infielders," Kim said, giving a boost to the second-year prospect.
In particular, Kim Tae-hyung praised Lee Ho-joon for walking to first base with a gesture of joy after being hit by a ball during the game against Hanwha on the 2nd. He seemed to like the young player's unique fighting spirit.
Coach Kim Tae-hyung praised the young player's gesture, saying, "There is a part that makes the dugout atmosphere good. Young players should have that kind of taste."
Lee Ho-joon posted an error in defense, but displayed better-than-expected performance in batting, which the head coach tried not to burden on him. Standing 172 centimeters tall and weighing 72 kilograms, Lee boasts of long hitting power despite his small physique.
After the opening of the 2025 season, Lotte's leadoff Hwang Sung-bin, its main second baseman Ko Seung-min, and even its main third baseman Sohn Ho-young left the team ahead of the match against Hanwha on the day due to injury. At a time when Lotte cannot fully mobilize, it should jump into the early rankings.
Lee Ho-joon has not played in many games, but he has demonstrated his strong presence. It is expected to be a positive stimulus to senior infielders such as Park Seung-wook and Jeon Min-jae. If Park recovers his batting sense in the Futures League and returns to the first division, fierce competition is inevitable.