Lingering trade rumors, but Lee Jung-hoo shows his loyalty! "I will stay with SF, which gave me the MLB opportunity, until the end → I will succeed here."

*This content was translated by AI.

Despite relentless trade rumors recently, Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants) kept his eyes solely on the team. With today being the trade deadline and teammates leaving the club, he cut through the chaotic atmosphere inside and outside the stadium with an outstanding performance, revealing deep affection and loyalty toward San Francisco.

On the 4th (Korean time), after finishing an away game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, Lee Jung-hoo spoke out regarding recent trade rumors. On this day, Lee Jung-hoo went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs, swinging a bat with great power and raising his season batting average from 0.301 to 0.306.

According to local media such as the San Francisco Chronicle, after the game, Lee Jung-hoo said, "When I arrived at the locker room today, the atmosphere was indeed chaotic," pointing out that it was the trade deadline, and added, "But as a baseball player, one must naturally strive to focus and immerse oneself in the game. I believe the good results I achieved today are all thanks to that effort," showing his professional demeanor. In fact, San Francisco left-handed starter Robby Ray and infielder Luis Arraez were traded away from the team on this day. Lee Jung-hoo and Arraez, known as close friends who frequently exchanged baseball know-how as fellow switch hitters, were among those leaving.

He further emphasized that he was not paying any attention to rumors suggesting other teams were targeting him, revealing his firm trust in San Francisco. Lee Jung-hoo stated, "The team that gave me the opportunity to come to the major leagues and offered me this contract is the San Francisco Giants. If I succeed in this league, I want it to be with the Giants. I simply want to see how far our team can go until the very end," conveying his strong will to stay with the team until the end.

As he said, the result of "game immersion" was perfect. In the bottom of the third inning, during his second at-bat, Lee Jung-hoo crushed a 83 mph (approx. 133.6 km) splitter thrown by opposing starter Cal Quantrill on the third pitch, hitting a solo shot that traveled 410 feet (approx. 125 m) to left-center field for his seventh home run of the season.

Having already completed a multi-hit game with a left-field single in his third at-bat and stealing his eighth base of the season, Lee Jung-hoo connected again on the first pitch from reliever Payton Gray in the bottom of the eighth inning. The 86.3 mph (approx. 138.9 km) slider traveled 385 feet (approx. 117.3 m) to right-center field for a solo home run, his eighth of the season.

This multi-home run game by Lee Jung-hoo in the major leagues came exactly 477 days after his last one against the New York Yankees on April 14, 2025. It marks his second career multi-home run game in the big leagues and ties his personal record for most home runs in a single season since joining the majors (8).

An interesting point from Statcast analysis is that the seventh home run hit in the third inning was measured as a ball that would clear the fence in 29 of the 30th MLB stadiums, but was the only one that did not clear the fence at his home stadium, Oracle Park. The eighth home run was also measured as a ball that would be a home run in 25 of the stadiums, excluding five including Oracle Park. In other words, he perfectly overcame the "unfair disadvantage" (eokkka) of the high right-field wall and wide right-center field at his home stadium with his skill on the road.

In the final bottom of the ninth inning with one out and bases loaded, Lee Jung-hoo capped off the game with a textbook sacrifice fly, adding a precious RBI.

Lee Jung-hoo burned up the bat as if mocking the unfavorable conditions of a "pitcher-friendly park" and the chaotic trade rumors. With only two home runs left to reach double digits in his major league career, Lee Jung-hoo's sprint appears to have just begun to accelerate.

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*This content was translated by AI.