San Francisco Giants’ Lee Jung-hoo (26) received a warm reception from fans during his first home game.
Lee went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in the Giants’ 2024 Major League Baseball home opener against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, on Saturday (June 6).
San Francisco hosted its home opener after a seven-game road trip. Fans packed Oracle Park to see the Giants return home after an eight-game road trip, despite a four-game losing streak entering the last game and a weekday day game. The crowd at Oracle Park was 46,645 for the game.
Lee signed a six-year, $113 million contract with San Francisco this offseason. He was one of the Giants’ key signings last winter. It is the fifth-largest contract in franchise history, behind Buster Posey (nine years, $167 million), Johnny Cueto (six years, $130 million), Matt Kane (six years, $127.5 million), and Barry Zito (seven years, $126 million). Lee’s jersey is featured prominently in the team store, where players’ merchandise is sold. Not only the main team store, but also the kiosks around the stadium all had Lee’s jersey.
Many Korean fans came to Oracle Park to cheer on Lee on that day.
At the team store, it was easy to see fans buying Lee’s jersey. “I came to the ballpark to see Lee Jung-hoo’s opening game, and I was very proud when I heard that Lee Jung-hoo was coming to San Francisco,” said Seung-joon Oh, a Korean expatriate living in San Francisco, 안전놀이터 추천 at the Team Store. “I always liked the KBO and MLB, but I liked Lee Jung-hoo even more when he came to San Francisco.
Seo-hee Oh, who visited the ballpark with Seung-jun Oh, said, “Lee Jung-hoo is a very good and cool player. I’m always cheering for him,” and looked forward to his performance. Mr. Oh Seung-joon, who bought Lee Jung-hoo’s jersey with his son, said, “I know that today is Lee Jung-hoo’s home debut. I bought a jersey to commemorate it. I hope he has a great hit or a home run today.”
Before the game, San Francisco introduced Lee to the fans by showing an introduction video on the big screen. It included an introduction to Lee’s nickname, Grandson of the Wind. The San Francisco fans welcomed Lee to the field with loud applause and cheers as he was introduced to the starting lineup. During his first at-bat, fans chanted, “Jeong Hoo-ri, Jeong Hoo-ri, Jeong Hoo-ri!”
During his final at-bat in the eighth inning,
Lee’s father, Lee Jong-beom, was introduced on the scoreboard. The San Francisco fans welcomed the Lee-Jong-hoo dad duo with applause. Lee Jong-beom, who is currently receiving coaching training in the United States, stood up when his image appeared on the screen and responded to the fans’ welcome. The San Francisco team introduced him as “SON OF TEH WIND,” his nickname during his playing days.
Unfortunately, Lee did not record a hit in his home debut. In a post-game interview, he said, “It was my first home game, so I played in a good atmosphere, and I’m glad we won in the end. I’m thankful for the fans’ welcome. I want to play well to live up to it,” he said, vowing to continue his career.