Former SK pitcher Kelly, "I'm not surprised that Lee Jung-hoo is good in Major League Baseball."
Former SK pitcher Kelly, "I'm not surprised that Lee Jung-hoo is good in Major League Baseball."
Blog Article
"I'm not surprised that you're good at Major League Baseball"
In an interview with MHN reporters at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona over the weekend, Arizona starter Merrill Kelly said without hesitation, "I'm not surprised that Lee Jung-hoo is good at Major League Baseball. I knew it."
In an interview held at the same venue three years ago, Kelly immediately chose Lee Jung-hoo despite MHN's question that asked him to select a Korean player who is most likely to make it to the Major League. He spoke highly of Lee Jung-hoo.
Kelly's firm belief in Lee Jung-hoo can also be attributed to the results of their past showdowns.
When Lee was playing in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), he had a batting average of 0.467 (seven hits in 15 at-bats) and five RBIs against Kelly, a former SK (current SSG) pitcher. He was a natural enemy. He continued his strength even after he entered the Major League.
The two faced off again in seven years last week at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, and Lee Jung-hoo again showed his strong performance against Kelly with a batting average of 0.333 (1 hit from 3 times at bat).
Kelly praised the pitcher, saying, "I have become a much different pitcher compared to the past when I was playing in Korea. Lee Jung-hoo will be like that. However, he still showed strong performance by hitting against me."
Kelly continued, "The changeup was the pitch that got a hit against Lee Jung-hoo in the San Francisco away game," adding, "I thought I threw it well to where I wanted it to be, but when I saw Lee Jung-hoo connect it to a hit, I felt once again that he was a good hitter." 메이저사이트
Kelly, who played for the SK Wyverns in the Korean pro baseball league from 2015 to 2018, returned to his hometown after signing a major league contract with his current team, Arizona, in 2019. Kelly, who has already become a seven-year Major League veteran, has 58 wins, 46 losses and an earned run average of 3.78 in his big league career as of Tuesday. He is cruising 5 wins, 2 losses and an earned run average of 3.26.
After the end of this season, he will become the first Major League free agent in his career. He may not know about long-term contracts, but at the current pace, he can make a big contract for three to four years.
When I asked Kelly if she was stressed by the FA, she said, "I'm happy and grateful that the season is going well without that so far," adding, "I don't really care about what I can't manage. If I focus on what I can do and do my best, wouldn't good things happen after the season is over?"
Kelly, who was out on the field for her workout schedule after the interview, sat down a catch ball, long toss, and catcher, and sweated during repeated sprints after about 30 pitches. Despite her busy schedule, Kelly did not forget to say "Thank you, I love you" to the Korean fans along with finger hearts.