Son of Korean baseball legend, Giants outfielder goes beyond father's legacy in what is setting out to be monster sophomore season
The San Francisco Giants' Lee Jung-hoo had the most prolific game of his young Major League Baseball career against the New York Yankees on Sunday, hitting two out of the park with four RBIs to lead his team's 5-4 road victory at the Yankee Stadium.
The career game for the 26-year-old brought his season batting average to .352/.426/.704, along with three home runs, 11 RBIs and league-leading eight doubles. He also helped secure San Francisco’s first series victory over the Yankees since 2002, wrapping up his first professional trip to New York with three home runs, seven RBIs and five runs.
He only hit two homers in his disappointing rookie campaign, in which he played 37 games before it was cut short by a season-ending injury in May. Despite losing the chance to add another Rookie of the Year award to his resume, after winning one in the Korea Baseball Organization, Lee has certainly rebounded to have what is shaping up to be his breakout season in the US.
He is now set to prove that he is worth the most lucrative rookie MLB deal out of all players that jumped from the KBO to MLB, a six-year, $113 million contract that he signed back in December 2023.
Lee has faced huge expectations throughout his life, but has managed to overcome them on a scale that baffled even his harshest critics. He was born the eldest child of a South Korean baseball legend Lee Jong-beom, who left some gargantuan shoes to fill along with a unique nickname.
Heir to 'Son of the Wind'
Signing with the Giants back in December 2023, he introduced himself as "Grandson of the Wind," a shout-out to his father Lee Jong-beom who earned the nickname "Son of the Wind" for his lightning quick steps that made him one of the most formidable leadoff hitters of all-time in the Korean league.
To say the senior Lee was a five-tool-player would actually be an understatement, as the 90s legend once famously played literally every single position except for pitcher in the KBO. He played outfielder and third-baseman primarily in his later career, but many fans remember him as the shortstop in his much-touted heyday playing for the HaiTai Tigers (forerunner of Kia Tigers) dynasty that won eight championships from 1986 to 1997.
MVP of the regular season once, of the championship-deciding Korean Series twice, and of the KBO all-star game once, Lee Jong-beom still holds the all-time record for most steals in a single season while being among the power hitters of his generation despite his small size.
For many South Korean baseball fans, Lee Jung-hoo's name had been well-known even before he donned the uniform of his first professional team, Nexen Heroes, now Kiwoom Heroes, in 2017. His impressive amateur career was overshadowed by him being the son of a KBO legend, with media always introducing him as "the son of Lee Jong-beom."
The junior Lee's goal when he entered the KBO had been to surpass the records his father set over his 19-year career, which also includes several seasons in Japan. But he matched one of his father's feats in his very first season by hitting two home runs in Jamsil Baseball Stadium — the largest baseball stadium in the country — and he won the top rookie honors that eluded the senior Lee.
The two Lees became the first father-son duo to lead the league in batting average, each win MVPs and to garner most votes for the all-star game.
By the time Lee made the jump to Major League Baseball, the general consensus was that he had at least matched his father's legacy in the Korean league, except for the senior Lee's ability to steal so many bases.
Lee fever garners ‘Giant’ fan base
Lee is easily one of the most popular baseball players of all time in Korea. He won 51.9 percent of the 2.39 million total votes in the 2023 all-star voting, and topped the list of Gallup Korea's favorite baseball player of all time vote in March, after placing No. 1 and No. 2 each in the 2023 and 2024 surveys.
He sold more uniforms than any other player in the KBO for five straight years from 2019 to 2023.
Lee's career in San Francisco launched with a fan base calling themselves the "Hoo Lee Gans," wearing fiery-shaped wigs to celebrate the rising star of the Giants. The upstart group has been voluntarily formed by fans and has been chanting his name at the Oracle Park.
According to the San Francisco Standard, an online news media outlet, Lee's No. 51 has been the top-selling Giants jersey this season. It said that his jersey had also been the top-seller among the Giants during his short-lived rookie season, quoting the team’s chief marketing officer, Rachel Heit.
“When Jung Hoo joined the team at the beginning of last year, he immediately became a fan favorite,” Heit was quoted as saying, noting the feat is pretty remarkable considering the injury and the language barrier.
In response to his rising popularity, the Giants purportedly created a section in the bleachers called the "Jung Hoo Crew," close to the center fielder.
The Hoo Lee Gans both stateside and on the Peninsula are now eagerly anticipating what may be next in Lee’s blossoming career.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
