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Orix Buffaloes Korean slugger Lee Seung-yeop hit a solo home run for his career 150th homer in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), Saturday.
In a road game at Seibu Dome, Lee hit his sixth homer of the season in the sixth inning against the Seibu Lions in a 7-4 defeat.
The Korean slugger became the 155th baseballer to hit over 150 dingers in the NPB.
“The record should have been set two or three years ago,” Lee said. “I hope to hit more home runs for the team’s victory.”
As Lee batted 2-for-4 he slightly improved his batting average up to .205.
Lee crossed the East Sea to play for the Chiba Lotte Marines after he hit the most homers in one season among Asians achieving 56 home runs for the Samsung Lions in the Korea Baseball Organization in 2003.
Lee boasted 14 dingers in his NPB debut year and sent 30 balls over the fence in 2005.
Lee moved to the Yomiuri Giants in 2006 and showed his prowess for two seasons, first with 41 homers, then following with 30 more in the second season.
The 34-year-old, however, struggled in the following three seasons until 2010.
In 2009 he remained mainly in the second-tier league.
The Korean representative barely survived in the NPB moving to the Buffaloes but he failed to get back on track in the beginning of the season and was sent to the second tier on May 9.
Lee, however, started threatening the contender’s mound after hitting his second home run of the season on June 18 against the Chunichi Dragons.
In the last 14 games Lee hit four homers.
So far Lee managed 474 home runs in the KBO and NPB in 17 seasons.
yc@koreatimes.co.kr
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