*This content was translated by AI.
A big frame, a hot power. Lee Dae-ho (44, retired), the "fourth batter of Joseon," seemed to be a good successor. However, he only left the possibility for seven seasons before heading to the military athletic unit (Sangmu). Will Han Dong-hee (27) be a new hope for the Lotte Giants.
Han Dong-hee went on her way to Tainan, Taiwan, where Lotte's first spring camp will be held through Gimhae International Airport on the 25th.
He met with reporters before leaving the country and gained confidence by going to Tsukuba University in Japan for a short period of time and even sent a message to Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung, saying, "I will hit 30 home runs."
Local boy Han Dong-hee, who graduated from Busan National University, Gyeongnam Middle School, and Gyeongnam High School, joined Lotte as the first pick of the 2018 KBO Rookie Draft. Lee Dae-ho was considered Lee Dae-ho's successor from his size to expectations for long balls, and Lee Dae-ho showed a special attachment and helped his junior grow a lot.
There was no separate "second-tier Bonds." Futures' overall batting average is 0.391. Although his batting average has never fallen to the 20% level, he did not perform as well as expected in the first team.
He has hit double-digit home runs for three consecutive years since 2020 and hit a batting average of 0.307 in 2022. He had recorded an on-base plus slugging percentage of 0.8 or higher for the third consecutive year and wanted to take over Lee Dae-ho's position in a stable manner, but suffered a big ups and downs with a batting average of 0.223 and five home runs in 2023.
Ahead of the 2024 season, Lee left for Kang Jung-ho Academy in the U.S. with Han Dong-hee. He went to the U.S. desperately thinking it was his last before joining the military, but even after returning, he left for Sangmu after leaving a poor performance of 0.257 without a home run in 14 games.
Will it be really different this time. Expectations remain. With a batting average of 0.323 with 11 home runs and an OPS of 1.006 in 42 games in Sangmu in 2024, he has grown one step further last year. In 100 games in Sangmu, he played a batting average of 0.400, 27 home runs, 115 RBIs, 107 points, an on-base percentage of 0.480, a slugging percentage of 0.675, and an OPS of 1.155. He won four home runs, RBIs, runs, and slugging percentage, and ranked second in batting average and on-base percentage.
Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung (59), who left alone for Taiwan's Tainan camp through Incheon International Airport on the 27th, told reporters, "I can hit 30," adding, "If Han Dong-hee plays his role at third base, that's all. You have to be good at that role. "I told you to do well. (If you tell me to do better), I'll just look at the sky and hit you," he said with a smile.
Han Dong-hee, who said he increased the amount of practice at Sangmu, said, "I will try to achieve the results that fans want this year somehow. Our team's goal this year is fall baseball. We can look more up there, but the first thing is to go to autumn baseball first," he said.
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*This content was translated by AI.
