Lee Seung-yeop Could Be Promoted As Early As Tomorrow

It is likely that Chiba Lotte Marines’ Lee Seung-yeop (28 years old, photo), who has been training in a farm team, will be promoted to a first-class team on June 4. However it is possible that he may play not as first baseman, but as a left fielder.

Marines’ farm team manager Koka said in an interview with Korean reporters on June 2 ahead of the game against Yomiuri Giants in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, “Today is the final day that Lee plays for a farm team.”

The Marines have no games on June 3 for both its 1st class and 2nd class team, and are scheduled to have a three-game series with the Kintetsu Buffalos in Marine Stadium starting June 4.

It was interesting that Lee played in left field for the first time in the game against Yomiuri. It is said that it was done by the direction of the manager, Bobby Valentine.

Lee took over first base in Korea, but he has played as a designated hitter for the Marines, giving first base to the Golden Glove winner of last year, Fukuura. Foreign hitters, Beni and Franco, have played as left fielder and third baseman respectively.

But Beni has showed up as a left fielder and a designated hitter, and Frank has appeared as a third baseman and a left fielder by turns after Lee was sent to a farm team. Manager Valentine worries about the poor fielding of the two. Consequently, Valentine has a plan that he won’t stick Lee to DH, but give the position to all three instead. For Lee, it will be disadvantageous because he is not guaranteed even the DH position.

Lee, who has experience in the outfield when he played as a left fielder 46 times for Samsung in Korea in 1996, had a practice for outfielding ahead of the game, and performed well as a left fielder. He caught popped-up balls twice and was skilled at the fence in dealing with a hit. In batting, he made a hit, 1 RBI in 3 at bats, including a solo homer into the left in the 6th inning.

Not being active, with a .233’s batting average (30 hits in 129 at bats), 5 homers and 19 RBIs in 36 games for the 1st class team, Lee has done a good job with a .300 batting average (12 hits in 40 at bats), 3 homers and 12 RBIs in 13 games for the farm team.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com