Lee Seung-yeop Breaks Japan League Records

Yomiuri’s Lee Seung-yeop had a banner year in Japanese League play this year.

His .323, 41 homeruns, 108 runs, and 101 runs batted in are testament to his great season. This becomes magnified when seen in light of his new 4-year contract extension for three billion yen.

Though all seemed well for the number 4 batter at the season’s start, a slump saw him slide down the batting list, at one point sliding as far down as the #7 slot.

The season did pose unprecedented problems for the slugger in the offseason, such as knee surgery and the death of his mother in January. Coupled with his offseason woes were pains in his left thumb, which slowed him down. He will have surgery in the early part of the season, but Yomiuri’s dogged chase for the league title offered him no flexibility to cater his physical needs. He chose the route of perseverance, and his performance was not up to form at first. His hitting percentage declined to .242 at one point this year.

He admitted to having tough times at the conclusion of Yomiuri’s regular season clincher when he described the season as “the most painful and difficult season” he has ever experienced. Lucky for Lee, however, the outcome was positive. His cleanup slot was reclaimed by the end of the season and he had solidified his role as the Giants’ main slugger.

On the 23rd of last month, with his team down 0-2 against Yokohama, he led a trademark comeback with a bases-clearing triple in the 8th inning. Two days later, Lee’s bat connected for his 28th homerun of the season, only to continue his heroics with a game-tying homer against team-rival Junichi on September 26, setting up an eventual victory for the Giants. On October 2, his 140m 2-run long ball against Yakult in front of a record crowd (46,260 in attendance) in the Tokyo Dome made an indelible impression. A 6-game hit streak and three consecutive games with runs scored summarized Lee’s finish for the regular season.

After tasting his first league win back in 2002 with the Samsung Lions, Lee made the transition to the Japanese League in a Lotte uniform the following season to repeat his march to the top in his rookie season. Lee’s brilliance in his first two Championship Series was noteworthy. Though he struggled up to the 5th game of the 2002 Korean Series against LG, his 9th inning 3-run home-run tied the game and saved his Lions from what seemed like an inevitable defeat.

In 2005, Lotte’s 4-game sweep against Hanshin featured Lee’s 4-game batting average of .545 with six runs batted in. In the 4th and final game, his game winning 2-run homer, along with a 4-for-4 hitting show and four runs, was key.

Though clearly falling short of perfection, Lee’s lives up to his billing as Yomiuri’s designated #4 power-hitter, and he leaves fans in anticipation of his 3rd championship ring in upcoming postseason.

why@donga.com