'Even in the U.S., they were wide-eyed': Lee Jung-hoo also poked his eyes at Navy Headquarters' Moon Hyun-bin, saying, "I did it because I saw it at the WBC → I probably won't do it again," with a laugh.

*This content was translated by AI.

The back story behind San Francisco Giants' Lee Jung-hoo (28)'s unique preparation move shown while waiting at the plate has been revealed. The so-called "eye-poking routine," familiar to domestic baseball fans through KBO League Hanwha Eagles' Moon Hyun-bin (22) and others, appears to have captured the attention of Major League Baseball officials and local media in the U.S. as well.

Lee Jung-hoo, who has continued an impressive streak of "18 consecutive hits" since returning from injury, is considered one of the hottest batters in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is competing for the MLB batting title. In this context, a strange move he performed during a recent game has become a major topic of conversation locally.

Lee Jung-hoo performed a move in which he held his index and middle fingers in front of his eyes and moved them back and forth at high speed. In the U.S., this was interpreted as a warning to the opposing pitcher, as if saying, "I'm watching you." This unique behavior spread quickly through local broadcast cameras and fans' social media. San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello also expressed a positive reaction in an interview, stating, "If it's an action that reveals a player's individuality, anything is fine."

However, it was revealed that this was not Lee Jung-hoo's unique habit, but rather "keeping up with trends" learned by watching KBO League juniors. According to a report by the New York Post citing the California Post on the 19th (Korean time), Lee Jung-hoo said, "On some days, I felt that seeing the ball was a little more difficult than on other days." He continued, "When I went to the national team for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) last March, I saw younger players than me doing this move while waiting at the plate. It seemed like a trend that was popular in the KBO League recently, so I tried it once because I wanted to see the ball better."

In fact, among domestic baseball fans, this routine is well known as one frequently used by Hanwha Eagles infielder Moon Hyun-bin to focus his visual attention and align his batting eye before entering the batter's box. The New York Post also interestingly introduced it, citing the analysis of a Korean baseball expert, as "a kind of visual fixation training method used by KBO League players to better capture the pitcher's throwing trajectory."

However, Lee Jung-hoo's "eye-poking routine" is expected to conclude as a one-time event. Lee Jung-hoo was retired on an infield grounder in the Chicago Cubs game where he first showed the routine, and his consecutive hit streak also ended along with the team's loss. In the Atlanta Braves game where he returned to his usual routine, he immediately hit a clear line-drive home run.

Reflecting on the results of the routine, Lee Jung-hoo laughed, saying, "I tried to see the ball better, but honestly, I'm not sure if it was effective." He then calmly declared, "I don't think I'll keep doing this move every time I step up to the plate in the future."

The fact that even a small move while waiting at the plate drew the spotlight across the United States once again highlighted Lee Jung-hoo's extraordinary star power that has captivated Major League Baseball and his intense popularity locally.

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*This content was translated by AI.