“They delayed him a year because of me…”
LG coach Yeom Kyung-yup breathed a sigh of relief when he received the news that his protégé Lee Jung-yong (27-LG Twins) was accepted into the Armed Forces Athletic Corps (AFC).
Lee received the final notification of his acceptance into the baseball team on the 1st. After completing all procedures for military service, Lee will enlist in December.
Lee had applied to the team once before last year, but canceled his application before the final announcement. New LG boss Yoon Kyung-yup discouraged Lee and Lee Jae-won from enlisting, and they stayed at LG.
For good reason, Lee was an indispensable resource for Yeom, who was tasked with delivering ‘results’. Lee fulfilled his role as LG’s go-to guy last season, playing in 65 games and recording 22 holds. For Yeom, it wasn’t enough to send the league’s best bullpen pitcher to the military as soon as he arrived.
Lee remained with LG and was classified as a must-win pitcher and was recalled early in the season. He also took over the closing duties for Ko Woo-seok, who was injured at the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) before the season started.
However, unlike Yoon’s expectations, Lee didn’t have the same performance as last year. After giving up a run in his first appearance of the season, he struggled through the month of April with two wins, one hold, three saves, and a 5.93 ERA.
To make matters worse, he was injured. After five games in May with a 3.86 ERA, Lee was scratched from the first team with a sore shoulder. It’s unclear when he’ll return. He has yet to play a game for the second team. Before the opening day, Yeom’s plan went completely awry.
Before the game against the Jamsil Lotte Giants on the first day, Yeom said, “I’m relieved. I couldn’t let him go…” he said. “I had hoped that he would be selected for the Asian Games by performing well at the beginning of the year, but I don’t think it will be easy now,” he added.
Teams are allowed to send up to three players to the Asian Games. To be selected, a player must win an intra-team competition before competing against players from other teams. LG has a number of pitchers with a lot of potential. Lee Jeong-yong’s poor performance, coupled with injuries, has made it difficult for him to compete. “I should have had a good pace in the beginning, but I didn’t. I think I need to work hard for the rest of the year and get a raise,” he said.메이저놀이터
Yeom went on to apologize to Lee, saying, “You lost a year because of me, but you shouldn’t lose without gaining.” Because of his insistence, he was unable to serve in the military when he wanted to. Add to that his poor grades, and Mr. Yeom’s debt became even greater.
However, he applied for the job again and was accepted, allowing him to play baseball during his military service. It was a huge relief for Yeom.