Ex-slugger dies from hypothermia

By Na Jeong-ju

A 63-year-old former baseball star was found dead from hypothermia at a locker room inside a baseball park for children in Seoul in early January, police said Sunday.

Lee Young-wan had lived on the streets and had not been in touch with his family members for many years. Police suspect he died while sleeping in the locker room on Jan. 3 when the country was gripped by an unusual cold snap.

Lee gained fame as one of the top sluggers in the amateur leagues in the 1960s when he played at Sunrin Commercial High School in Seoul, now Sunrin Internet High School. He received the Best Slugger Award by hitting the most home runs in a tournament held in 1967, and earned the nickname of “Power Hitter.”

After graduating from high school, he entered a team run by a local bank as one of the most promising stars. However, he failed to make it through the fierce competition, and eventually dropped out of the team.

Later he married, and started a new life as a businessman. However, his business failed, and he left home, according to his family.

“He had been living on the streets since being divorced about 10 years ago,” an officer from the Jungbu Police Station said.

Lee was once investigated for fighting with a passerby near the baseball park in which he died. “We believe he stayed near the ballpark, missing his good old days. He was often seen drunk by residents,” the officer said.