Shortstop, who was nominated for the first round of ‘Final Home Run Bang!’ is happier than setting a new personal record for the most home runs.
Lee Jae-hyun of Samsung led the winning series with a home run in the final.
In the home game against LG held at 메이저사이트 Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 5th, Lee Jae-hyun started as the shortstop number 8. With no runners in the 4th inning against 3-3, LG starter Choi Won-tae and ball count 2B-2S pulled the 8th pitch changeup with all his might and blew it out of the left wall. The flying distance is 105m.
He broke the 8th arch of the season and set a new personal record for most home runs in a season. He achieved his 15th multi-hit of the season by adding a hit in the sixth inning.
Lee Jae-hyun’s presence stood out in defense as well. When Moon Bo-kyung hit a double in the middle left in the 4th inning, Oh Ji-hwan, the runner on first base, dug into the home base forcibly and was tagged out. Center fielder Kim Hyeon-jun caught the ball and threw it into the infield, and shortstop Lee Jae-hyeon threw Oh Ji-hwan out with an accurate home throw to catcher Kang Min-ho.
Manager Park Jin-man said, “I especially liked that Lee Jae-hyun changed the flow of the game by showing a wonderful home relay play during the defense at the beginning of the 4th inning.” Samsung beat LG 6-3 and booked a weekend winning series of 3 games in a row.
Lee Jae-hyun said after the game, “It’s not like I hit 20 homers in one season, and it’s my second season now, and it’s a bit far-fetched to say it’s the most personal home run. I’m happy to hit an important shot in a tie.”
Lee Jae-hyeon, who is active as a full-time shortstop in his second year, showed confidence that he had no problems managing his physical condition. He said, “(Physically) I don’t feel particularly difficult. I live a regular life and drink a lot of water. I don’t have much appetite, but I try to force myself to eat. I’m maintaining my weight well.”
Ryu Ji-hyeok, who swapped uniforms with Kim Tae-gun (KIA catcher) last month, has been very close to his teammates for less than a month since he transferred. In particular, he is close with the three musketeers of ‘Gulbiz’: Kim Ji-chan, Kim Hyun-jun, and Lee Jae-hyun.
He said, “I try to be close to my teammates. I was able to get close to him easily while playing with Gulbiz. We are comfortable talking about baseball as well as every detail”. Jihyeok Ryu says:
Living alone in Daegu, leaving his family behind, he is a neighbour’s cousin with Kim Ji-chan. When he commutes, he hits Ji-chan Kim’s car. Instead, he always opens his wallet wide for his juniors. Ryu Ji-hyeok said, “The kids decide the menu, and I only do the calculations. It’s okay to be a hogu hyung. It’s better than an awkward relationship.”
Lee Jae-hyun said, “When Ji-hyuk hyung first came, it was inevitable, but he talked to me a lot first and told me to talk comfortably whenever he wanted to eat a snack. It was nice that he approached me first. Thank you for talking to me about baseball a lot. I do,” he laughed.
Samsung defeated LG for two days in a row, and Kiwoom and the ride in 9th place disappeared. Lee Jae-hyun feels the team atmosphere has changed. He said, “I am definitely winning more than the first half, so (the atmosphere) has improved a lot. It is thanks to the hyungs who led the atmosphere well”. Lee Jae-hyun, who announced his goal to play more than 100 games as a shortstop ahead of this season, expressed his desire, “I have not missed so far, so I want to play all the remaining games without injury.”