"Why cry after hitting a home run?" Jamsil Big Boy's 5-for-5 strikeout performance puts his mental fortitude back on trial

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"He was about to cry after hitting a home run."

It was at Jamsil Stadium on May 7. LG Twins manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) said this to reporters about Lee Jae-won (27, LG).

The day before, on the 6th, Lee had drawn a lead-off, game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil. It was his first at-bat after returning to the first division for the first time in 18 days, and a blast he had not hit in a staggering 935 days since facing Doosan on October 14, 2023, before enlisting in the military.

Manager Yeom praised him by saying, "Yesterday, Jae-won played one game for us," but expressed regret, adding, "But he was about to cry after hitting a home run. He should be excited and thrilled because it's great. That is how competitive spirit is born.... He is not on the strong side mentally." He continued, "It means he has been going through a lot emotionally. I hope that home run gives Jae-won confidence."

That Lee Jae-won once again found himself on trial in this wild card series against the KIA Tigers. In Game 1 held in Gwangju on the 17th, he came on as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning and struck out after an eight-pitch duel with Sung Young-tak.

The next day, in Game 2 on the 18th, he started as the sixth-hitter and right fielder. However, after striking out consecutively against KIA starter Oller in the second, fifth, and sixth innings, he also struck out on three pitches against Jeon Sang-hyun in the eighth inning with two outs and runners on first and second while trailing 3-6. He went hitless in five at-bats across the two games, striking out all five times, and every one was a swinging strikeout. Near the end of the game, Lee was seen on broadcast footage bowing his head with reddened eyes in the dugout.

In an interview after Game 2, manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said, "I believed in Lee Jae-won's power," adding, "The player himself is at a stage where he is experiencing a big stage. We plan to work extensively on the areas that need improvement starting from the finishing training."

Lee Jae-won, who graduated from Seoul High School and was drafted in the 17th pick of the second round of the 2018 rookie draft, earned the nickname "Jamsil Big Boy" for his outstanding power-hitting ability. In 2022, he also revealed his potential by hitting 13 home runs. This is his second experience in postseason play, following the 2022 playoff against the Kiwoom Heroes (three at-bats, no hits, one RBI, one strikeout).

LG, having lost two consecutive road games, now finds itself on the brink of elimination, where a single loss means being knocked out. It remains to be seen how LG will utilize Lee Jae-won in the remaining series, and whether Lee can recover the power worthy of "Jamsil Big Boy" at home.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original