Tigers‘ Lee retires from baseball

By Kang Seung-woo

Kia Tigers veteran outfielder Lee Jong-beom announced his retirement from baseball Saturday after a storied 19-year career.

The 41-year-old player unexpectedly told the Gwangju-based club that he would walk away from the sport after a home exhibition game against the Hanwha Eagles following discussions with the coaching staff.

He was offered a player-coach role Friday as there is little chance of him making the first-team squad for the 2012 regular season, scheduled to begin this weekend. But Lee, who made his debut in the Korea Baseball Organization with the Haitai Tigers, the predecessor of the Kia Tigers, in 1993 has made up his mind to call it quits.

The Tigers, 10-time Korean Series champions, named franchise player Sun Dong-yeol the new captain late last year and the team’s manager has shown signs of rebuilding around young players in the preseason games.

“I heard from the coaching staff including the manager that I would struggle to make the roster for the season opener,” Lee said in a media interview.

“Although I would be able to continue my career in the second-tier league, it seemed unlikely I would have the chance to be promoted to the first team, and so I decided to retire from baseball.”

The Tigers are set to support Lee’s post-retirement career to the hilt, but the shortstop-turned outfielder is undecided on what he will do next.

“I have not made any future plan,” Lee said.

“After spending several days to map out my plans, I will hold a press conference.”

Ahead of the 2009 season, Lee was pushed to retire by the Tigers, which claimed that he would be better to leave with honor, but he declined the offer and agreed to a 200 million won deal.

Lee has enjoyed a decorated career over the last 19 years.

He contributed to the Tigers claiming the championship four times including one in his debut year.

In his second year, he won the most valuable player after a signature season with 196 hits, 113 runs, 84 stolen bases and a batting average of .393, all of which were league-best records that year.

In 1998, he moved to the Chunichi Dragons in the Japanese league, but after an elbow injury, he did not live up to expectations and rejoined the Tigers in August 2001.

The virtually-lifetime Tiger appeared in 1,706 games in the Korean league, where he recorded 1,797 hits, 194 home runs, 730 RBIs and 510 stolen bases with a .297 batting average.