In Surprise Stadium, the spring camp of the Texas Rangers, the defending champion in the U.S. Major League Baseball, he was dressed neatly in a blue uniform and looked welcoming. Lee Jong-beom, the legend of the "Son of the Wind," said Lee Jong-beom. Why is he wearing a Texas uniform that he has never met before.
Former LG Twins coach Lee Jong-beom contributed to LG's first win in 29 years last season. He played an active role as a first-base coach. However, he offered to resign without regret. He wanted to get rid of Lee Jong-beom's title as a baseball player and live his life as a father after retirement.
Lee Jung-hoo, the "grandchild of the wind," signed a six-year "jackpot" contract with the San Francisco Giants. No matter how good he is at baseball, challenging him on an unfamiliar stage was bound to be difficult after a young Lee Jung-hoo. Lee wanted to support Lee as a father.
However, his passion for baseball could never have cooled down. As he was in the U.S., he wanted to experience a bigger world. This is why he took training as a Major League team coach.
As soon as he made up his mind, he started to implement the plan. He sought out teams around Phoenix where San Francisco's spring camp is set up. To make it easier, it was easy to reach out to San Francisco. It was not something Lee Jung-hoo, the highest paid player, should have asked for. However, the former coach had only one condition. He did not like his son's team.
"I didn't want to put pressure on my son. That's why I gave my resume to major clubs that have camps nearby. Fortunately, the Texas club looked after me well," Lee said.
The former coach watches the training of Texas minor league players and also gives guidance to the players.
People can also freely watch Major League Baseball training sessions. Recently, I watched an away exhibition game in San Francisco due to the consideration of manager Bruce Bochy from the dugout. As a father and baseball player, I was deeply touched. My son had a great hit in front of my father.
It's a tough schedule. It's a 50-minute drive from my Scottsdale house with my son to Surprise. Major camp starts at around 7 a.m. You have to get ready to go to work early in the morning.
However, he is a natural baseball player. I am so happy to be on the ground wearing a uniform. "I am so happy. Watching and studying new baseball itself is amazing to me. There are more than 100 players here in the camp. Even minor league players have incredible qualities. Just seeing how they develop players here helps them greatly," Lee said.
Coincidentally, Lee had a hard time this winter due to rumors that he would head his hometown team, the KIA Tigers. Fans strongly wanted Lee to replace Kim Jong-kook, who suddenly dropped out on corruption charges. Lee would have been lying if he had no greed.
However, only his name was mentioned, and he couldn't get an interview opportunity. Lee, who had been preparing for the event step by step while serving as coach, second-tier coach, and commentator, also had to be disappointed.
However, he is making up his mind again on the field. "Whether I am a coach or a coach, I don't know what kind of position I will return to, but I will do my best to prepare for that day," Lee said. American baseball is not all good. However, I can clearly see new things that would be good to apply to the KBO League. Just learning Bochy's leadership is a good opportunity for me."
BY: 스포츠토토핫