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Lotte Giants slugger Lee Dae-ho received a league record 837,088 fan votes, ahead of the 2011 All-Star Game scheduled for July 23 at Jamsil Stadium, Seoul.
During the seven-week ballot, Lee never lost the top spot, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said Monday.
Lee currently leads the KBO stats in two categories with 20 home runs and 65 RBIs, as well as placing second in batting average with .361. His 837,088 votes are the highest to date and a record that surpasses the previous mark of 818,269 set by teammate Hong Sung-heon last year.
Lee is challenging to finish top in seven of the eight offense categories for the second consecutive year. Last season, he dominated the KBO with a .364 batting average, 44 home runs, 133 RBIs, 99 runs, 174 hits, .667 on-base plus slugging (OPS) with .444 on base percentage (OBP). The current season will run through late September.
The 29-year-old also became the most supported player for a second time, after receiving the most votes in 2007.
LG Twins catcher Cho In-sung had the second highest tally with 789,912 and Kia Tigers third baseman Lee Bum-ho followed with 729,348.
“Thank you everyone that supported me. I think it was possible because of the love of the Giants’ and the baseball fans,” Lee said.
“To return for their support, I will show put in a good performance in the All-Star Game. As a clean-up hitter of the Giants,I will do it.”
Samsung Lions pitcher Cha Woo-chan is named on the Best 10 list for the first time and he will be a starter for the Eastern team, up against Ryu Hyun-jin of the Hanwha Eagles, who was named on the list for the second consecutive year for the Western team.
Park Suk-min, Choi Hyung-woo, Kim Sang-soo of the Lions, Jeung Keun-woo of the SK Wyverns, Jeon Joon-woo of the Giants and Kim Sun-bin of the Tigers all made the Best 10 list for the first time.
The KBO All-Star Game pits an Eastern team against the Western one.
The Eastern team is composed of players from the Wyverns, Lions, Giants and Doosan Bears while the Tigers, Twins, Eagles and Nexen Heroes provide the Western team.
Managers Kim Sung-keun of the Wyverns and Cho Bum-hyun of the Tigers will lead the two sides.
The two managers will also each select another 12 players for the game.
Following the fan voting, the league leading team Lions will have five All-Stars, the Giants four and the Wyverns one.
For the Western team the Tigers and Twins are both sending four players and the Eagles two.
The Heroes and Bears failed to see anyone from their rosters selected through the All-Star Game ballot.
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