"I May Have Been at the Center of Disaster..." Captain Jung Hoo Lee Buries His Face in His Glove as Tokyo Dome Erupts

[The Financial News] Where else in the world could you find such a foolish, and at the same time such a magnificent act of sacrifice?
When the final out was recorded and South Korea’s place in the quarterfinals was secured, the man with a 113 million dollar (about 146.4 billion won) contract buried his face in his glove and sobbed like a child.
Those burning tears were the searing regret of an ace who had to endure, with his whole body, years of international baseball disasters for Korea, and at the same time the overwhelming joy of a captain who, wearing the armband for the first time, had just led his team to a miracle.

The fighting spirit Jung Hoo Lee of the San Francisco Giants has shown at this tournament defies common sense. He is already a superstar in the major leagues, earning a contract worth over 100 billion won. He is not a player who has any real need to wear himself down in an international tournament and risk injury.
But in front of the Taegeuk emblem on his chest, his market value meant nothing. Even after suffering the misfortune of an ankle injury in the first game against Czechia, he simply refused to stop.
In the game against Japan, when defeat seemed all but certain and South Korea trailed 5–8 with the momentum completely gone in the eighth inning, he singled and still sprinted to second base like a man possessed.
Ignoring the pain in his ankle, he made a desperate dash to keep the team’s dying embers alive, and that run ignited a fire in his teammates’ hearts.

In the do-or-die clash with Australia, he saved South Korean baseball with a single defensive play. With one out and a runner on first in a cliff-edge situation, the batter smoked a line drive toward right-center. If it dropped, it would almost certainly mean a run and could shatter South Korea’s dream of reaching the quarterfinals. At that critical moment, Jung Hoo Lee hurled himself forward and made a diving catch.
It was literally a "play that saved the nation"—a catch that pulled both Kim Taek-yeon, who had already given up a run and was sitting in the dugout with his head down, and young pitcher Jo Byeong-hyeon, who was battling extreme tension on the mound, out of hell at the same time. The surreal sight of a player on a massive contract throwing his body onto artificial turf without a moment’s hesitation perfectly showed what mindset he brought into this tournament.

In truth, the national team has always been a sore spot for Jung Hoo Lee. Since he became a core member of the squad, South Korean baseball has repeatedly tasted bitter defeat at international tournaments.
Taking on the captaincy for the first time at this event, the pressure he must have felt, bottled up inside, is hard to even imagine. Standing in the mixed zone after the game, his eyes bloodshot, Jung Hoo Lee said, "I may have been at the center of the ‘disasters,’ but we also had a legend of the past dynasty in Hyun-jin Ryu, and below us are young players who will write a new dynasty. I think that positive energy was stronger," giving the glory of victory to his seniors and juniors.
He went on, "Park Hae-min, myself, Woo-suk Go, Hyeseong Kim—those of us who were there when we posted poor results at international tournaments—have talked so much among ourselves over the years," and added, "Today it feels like we finally broke that vicious chain of bad memories with our own hands, and I’m so grateful to the teammates who fought alongside me," his voice catching once more.
He is the player under the brightest spotlight, yet he tried to quietly shoulder every burden of the national team from the darkest place.
A player worth 146.4 billion won sprints for second base on a bad ankle, lays out for a diving catch to save a teammate, and when victory is sealed, buries his face in his glove and breaks down in tears. We are witnessing the era of a true captain whose dedication and sense of responsibility are as historic as his overwhelming talent. With Jung Hoo Lee’s tears, the long, cruel chapter of South Korean baseball has finally closed. The next destination for Ryu Ji-hyun’s squad, led by this great captain, is the promised land: Miami.
jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter