Lee Dae-ho declares bid for MLB

By Baek Byung-yeul

Baseball player Lee Dae-ho poses during a press conference announcing his bid to play in the Major League Baseball at the Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap

Korean baseball slugger Lee Dae-ho declared his intention to play Major League Baseball (MLB) starting next season, Tuesday.

At a press conference at the Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul in Seoul, the 33-year-old first baseman, who won the Japan Series MVP award for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks last week, said he would like to “play in the MLB, a stage I have longed for from early childhood.”

“Over the last decade, I have been doing my best as a baseball player and a father. Thanks to the support from many of you, I think I have enjoyed my baseball life and have achieved profitable results. But here I am in my mid-30s, I would like to pursue my dream of a baseball life in the United States,” Lee said.

He said he will exercise his player option for next season with the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) club and become an international free agent.

Lee’s Korean sports agency, Montis Sports Management Group, said the U.S.-based MVP Sports Group, whose clients include Albert Pujols and Joey Votto, will represent him.

The announcement came after a week in which Lee helped the Hawks win the Japan Series for the second consecutive season. Batting .500 (8 for 16) with two home runs and eight RBIs against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the series, Lee became the first Korean to win the MVP honor.

The former Lotte Giants player in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) played in Korea for 11 seasons, recording a batting average of .309 with 225 home runs. He had his breakthrough season in 2006, capturing the Triple Crown, hitting .336 with 26 home runs and 88 RBIs.

He joined the Hawks from the 2014 season after spending two years with the Osaka-based Orix Buffaloes in 2012 and 2013. In the regular season this year, he batted .282 with 144 hits, including 31 home runs and 98 RBIs.

When asked about the challenge ahead, Lee emphasized that he will take a “back to basics” approach in the U.S.

“When I was first in Japan, my batting average dropped as Japanese pitchers are really good at throwing breaking balls and they tend to pitch around me with their first pitch. I tried not swing at those. If I have a chance to play in the U.S., I will go back to basics to learn their baseball,” Lee said.

Lee said he doesn’t have any preferred team as it has been two days since he made his decision.

“It’s been only two days to make the decision. I have not asked Choo Shin-soo (The Texas Rangers outfielder) or Kang Jung-ho (The Pittsburg Pirates infielder) for advice, but once I am done choosing my team I will seek their advice,” Lee said.

Born in Busan, Lee is also known for having a “special bond” with Choo as he began playing baseball in third grade at Suyeong Elementary School on the recommendation of his classmate Choo.

“I have known him since my early years and I know he’ll succeed. Choo has had really tough times in the U.S. and so have I. I would like to display what I learned from Korea there,” he said.

With Lee declaring his plan to play in the big leagues, there will be much attention on Korean players who announce their hopes to play in the U.S. this offseason.

A day before Lee’s announcement, the Nexen Heroes asked the KBO to post their first baseman Park Byung-ho to the MLB.

The 29-year-old slugger had a career season this year, leading the KBO in home runs (53) and RBIs (146), with a batting average of .343. Under the baseball player transfer system between the KBO and the MLB, 30 MLB clubs will have four days to submit their bids to win a 30-day-long exclusive right to negotiate with Park.

Other KBO players who have asked their teams to post them are Lotte Giants right fielder Son Ah-seop and third baseman Hwang Jae-gyun. Due to the KBO’s rule that mandates that a team can accept only one posting bid per offseason, the Giants have decided to make Son available first.