"May I speak?" Park Byung-ho's cautious coaching → Lee Hyung-jong's admiration: "I opened up because you asked first." Batting average of 0.500 after returning to the first division

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes veteran outfielder "Gwang-toma" Lee Hyung-jong (37) delivered three hits against his former team, LG Twins, propelling the team on a five-game winning streak. Behind Lee Hyung-jong's complete revival were the dignified advice from Park Byung-ho (40), now a coach for the Kiwoom Heroes, and his tearful efforts in the Futures League (second division).

On the 22nd, Lee Hyung-jong started as the cleanup hitter and left fielder in the away game against LG Twins at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium in the "2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League." He went 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. After being demoted to the second division on the 4th due to poor batting performance, Lee returned on the 19th and posted an astounding batting average of 0.500 (12 at-bats, 6 hits, 1 home run) over four games. Although the sample size is small, his OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) during that period reached an impressive 1.433.

In an interview with reporters on-site after the game, Lee cited Coach Park Byung-ho's advice as the secret to his recent sharp batting form. Lee began by saying, "I have a habit of using too much force and trying to hit hard when swinging," and then revealed a single piece of advice Park gave him during his batting adjustment period in the second division.

Lee said, "Coach Park Byung-ho carefully offered advice first." He added, "Even when the coach was about to speak, he would ask, 'May I speak?' I felt comfortable and told him it was fine to speak freely. Because he approached me with such respect from the start, I felt my heart open a bit more." He then shared, "After hearing the coach's advice to 'swing lightly' and 'hit with one hand off,' I changed my approach at the plate."

Park Byung-ho's cautious and warm coaching ultimately led to a powerful hitting performance. Lee noted, "In my first year after moving from LG to Kiwoom, I had a memory of struggling particularly against LG, which put a lot of pressure on me," but added, "Now, I think I have adapted in various ways so I can help the team. I try to maintain my composure just as I would against other teams."

It wasn't just Coach Park Byung-ho who was mentioned. Lee also expressed gratitude to Goyang Heroes second division manager Oh Yun (45). Lee said, "To help improve my batting form, he increased my number of at-bats during second division games. He would ask me to take one more at-bat, offer advice like 'let's try this again tomorrow,' and so on. I am truly grateful that he kept sending me out to play consistently in the second division to help me maintain my feel."

Although Kiwoom currently has many young players, the perfect harmony between veterans like Lee Hyung-jong, Choi Ju-hwan, and Seo Geon-chang has propelled the team into a five-game winning streak. Lee also showed the maturity of a senior player when he told his younger teammates, "Even when my body isn't like it used to be, I always strive to play baseball with urgency and determination. I want to show my urgency not through words but through my actions and plays."

Finally, after hearing catcher Kim Geon-hee (22)'s determination to "definitely make it to autumn baseball," Lee responded, "We are riding a wave of consecutive wins, but there will surely be crises. However, I will play with the mindset of making it to autumn baseball. Since the gap with other teams is not as large as expected, I want to give fans the fun of turning things around. I will do my best until the end of the season."

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*This content was translated by AI.