Lee Seung-yeop Needs to Play Defense

Lee Seung-yeop (28, Chiba Lotte Marines) will take outfield lessons.

On September 30, Japan’s Nikkan Sports announced, “Next year, Lee Seung-yeop will try out for either first baseman or as an outfielder, and next month when the team starts its fall training, he’ll start practicing as an outfielder.”

The paper also said, “While dining together on September 27, Bobby Valentine, the head coach, advised Lee Seung-yeop that, ‘It will be advantageous as a player if you are able to handle multiple positions.’”

Also, during a September 30 telephone conversation with Lee Dong-hoon, Lee Seung-yeop’s interpreter, Lee confirmed the statement, saying, “Coach Valentine and Lee Seung-yeop had lunch together and when Coach Valentine talked about playing as an outfielder, Lee Seung-yeop answered he would ‘be willing to take the position.’”

Lee Seung-yeop’s move to become an outfielder is part of a necessary process to boost his value on the team.

This year, Lee Seung-yeop lost to Fukuora in the competition for the team’s first base position, and has been the team’s designated hitter, hitting a disappointing 0.240 (80 hits in 333 at-bats) batting average, 14 home runs, and 50 RBIs.

For a designated hitter, whose only job is to bat and doesn’t have to participate on defense, Lee’s performance is flunking at best. Also, Lee Seung-yeop, who is used to always hitting and playing defense while in Korea, said, “I couldn’t pace myself as a hitter after not playing any defense at all,” numerous times during the season.

Thus, Lee’s move to try for an outfield position is a prospect that must be fulfilled both for himself and the team.

During this season, Lee Seung-yeop had taken outfield practice under Coach Valentine’s orders.

During the June 2 minor league match up against the Yomiuri Giants that was held in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Lee Seung-yeop, who started as the team’s left fielder, caught two fly balls and without any trouble, handled a ball that bounced off a fence displaying his abilities as an outfielder.

Lee Dong-hoon said, “After he returned to the major leagues, he trained as an outfielder from time to time.”

During his career with the Samsung Lions, Lee Seung-yeop started as the team’s left fielder in 46 games during the 1996 season and has a total of 48 games of experience as an outfielder.

However, starting in 1997 and ever since, Lee had been playing first base, so the change in position will take some time for Lee to get used to.

Also despite his good shoulders, his slow feet make him an inappropriate candidate as an outfielder.

Starting on September 25, Lee Seung-yeop will complete his training in the next two weeks at the Kagoshima Sendai camp and will return to Korea in mid November.

On the other hand, while Coach Valentine, who is currently visiting Korea, was watching the Hyundai-SK match at Incheon’s Munhak Stadium and said, “This year, Lee Seung-yeop had a lot of trouble trying to adjust himself to a new environment, but next year I believe he’ll do well.”

He also said, “I came to Korea to experience the professional baseball here.” However, the Japanese press said Valentine’s visit to Korea is to scout new players such as Lim Chang-yong (Samsung), Park Myung-hwan (Doosan), Brumbaugh, and Piery (both Hyundai) for Chiba Lotte.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com