Lee Yong-Kyu
Encyclopedia
Lee Yong-Kyu (born August 26, 1985 in Gunsan
, South Korea
) is an outfielder
who plays for the Kia Tigers
in the Korea Baseball Organization
. He bats and throws left-handed
.
, South Korea
. In , he was selected for the South Korea national junior baseball eam and competed in the 5th Asian Junior Baseball Championship held in Bangkok
, Thailand
. Lee led his team to the 14-0 mercy rule
victory over China
in the round robin phase of the competition, going 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs. South Korea
eventually won the Championship for the second time by beating Taiwan
in the final.
, but after the 2004 season he was traded to the Kia Tigers
.
In , Lee batted a career-high .318 (third in the KBO league), and was first in hits (154), second in runs (78) and third in stolen bases (38). He also won his first Golden Glove Award. After the 2006 season, he was selected for the South Korea national baseball team and competed in the Asian Games
in Doha
, Qatar
.
In , Lee was converted from right field to center field. However, he stole only 17 bases, and his batting average
dipped to .280, showing a weakness against inside breaking ball
s from lefties.
In , Lee had another solid season, batting a respectable .312 with 130 hits and 28 stolen bases, but the team did not reach the postseason.
In August 2008, Lee competed for the South Korea national baseball team in the 2008 Summer Olympics
, where they won the gold medal in the baseball tournament. He finished the tournament ranked second in batting average (.481). He was at the plate for 3 of South Korea's 7 runs in their first win against Cuba
, delivering a RBI single and hitting into a 2-base error by Norberto González
. Lee was 4-for-4 in a 10-1 victory over the Netherlands
. In the Gold Medal game, he hit a double off Pedro Luis Lazo
to bring in Park Jin-Man
for South Korea's final run in a 3-2 win over Cuba.
In March , Lee was called up to the South Korea national baseball team again for the 2009 World Baseball Classic
. He went 4-for-18 with one RBI and four runs, sharing the starting center field position with Lee Jong-Wook
. After the WBC, Lee was out with an ankle injury for the first three months of the 2009 KBO season, running into the outfield wall during the Tigers' 2009 home opener against the SK Wyverns
on April 7. Lee returned from injury in early July, but his batting performance dipped, ending the season with a batting average of .266 and 45 hits.
Bold = led KBO
Gunsan
Gunsan is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is located on the south bank of the Geum River just upstream from its exit into the Yellow Sea. Gunsan is served by frequent railway service on the Gunsan Line from Iksan. It is also connected to the Seohaean Expressway.Kunsan Air Base...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
) is an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who plays for the Kia Tigers
Kia Tigers
Kia Tigers Professional Baseball Club is a Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982. The Tigers are a member team of the Korean Baseball Organization and the most successful team in Korean baseball having won the national championship, the Korean Series, ten times, with a perfect 10-0...
in the Korea Baseball Organization
Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. KBO should not be confused with the Korea Professional Baseball League. KBO was founded in 1981 and has been governing two leagues, Korea Professional Baseball and Futures League since...
. He bats and throws left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
.
Amateur career
Lee attended Duksoo High School in SeoulSeoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. In , he was selected for the South Korea national junior baseball eam and competed in the 5th Asian Junior Baseball Championship held in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Lee led his team to the 14-0 mercy rule
Mercy rule
A mercy rule, also well known by the slightly less polite term slaughter rule , brings a sports event to an early end when one team has a very large and presumably insurmountable lead over the other team...
victory over China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in the round robin phase of the competition, going 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs. South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
eventually won the Championship for the second time by beating Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
in the final.
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Junior Baseball Championship |  |
Professional career
Lee debuted with the LG TwinsLG Twins
LG Twins Baseball Club is a Korea Professional Baseball team based in Seoul, South Korea. The club was known as the MBC Blue Dragons owned by the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation until , when they were taken over by the LG Group...
, but after the 2004 season he was traded to the Kia Tigers
Kia Tigers
Kia Tigers Professional Baseball Club is a Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982. The Tigers are a member team of the Korean Baseball Organization and the most successful team in Korean baseball having won the national championship, the Korean Series, ten times, with a perfect 10-0...
.
In , Lee batted a career-high .318 (third in the KBO league), and was first in hits (154), second in runs (78) and third in stolen bases (38). He also won his first Golden Glove Award. After the 2006 season, he was selected for the South Korea national baseball team and competed in the Asian Games
2006 Asian Games
The 15th Asian Games, officially known as the XV Asiad, is Asia's Olympic-style sporting event that was held in Doha, Qatar from December 1 to December 15, 2006. Doha was the first city in its region and only the second in West Asia to host the games...
in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
.
In , Lee was converted from right field to center field. However, he stole only 17 bases, and his batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
dipped to .280, showing a weakness against inside breaking ball
Breaking ball
In baseball, a breaking ball is a pitch that does not travel straight like a fastball as it approaches the batter. A pitcher who uses primarily breaking ball pitches is often referred to as a junkballer. A breaking ball will have some sideways or downward motion on it...
s from lefties.
In , Lee had another solid season, batting a respectable .312 with 130 hits and 28 stolen bases, but the team did not reach the postseason.
In August 2008, Lee competed for the South Korea national baseball team in the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, where they won the gold medal in the baseball tournament. He finished the tournament ranked second in batting average (.481). He was at the plate for 3 of South Korea's 7 runs in their first win against Cuba
Cuba national baseball team
The Cuba national baseball team is the national team of Cuba. The team is made up of amateur players from the Cuban national baseball system, as there are no professional sports leagues in Cuba...
, delivering a RBI single and hitting into a 2-base error by Norberto González
Norberto González
Norberto González Miranda is a left-handed pitcher for the Cuban national baseball team and Cienfuegos of the Cuban National Series....
. Lee was 4-for-4 in a 10-1 victory over the Netherlands
Netherlands national baseball team
The Netherlands national baseball team is the national baseball team of the Netherlands. They are currently the top team in Europe and currently the sixth ranked men's baseball team in the IBAF World Rankings....
. In the Gold Medal game, he hit a double off Pedro Luis Lazo
Pedro Luis Lazo
Pedro Luis Lazo Iglesias is a top pitcher in Cuban baseball. He is used predominantly as a reliever in international competition, although he is a starter in the Cuban National Series, where he plays for Pinar del Río...
to bring in Park Jin-Man
Park Jin-Man
*SK Wyverns Park Jin-Man is a Korean Baseball Organization shortstop for the Samsung Lions. He bats and throws right-handed. Since becoming a fixture in the starting lineup in his first pro season, Park has demonstrated defensive versatility as a shortstop, winning five Golden Gloves...
for South Korea's final run in a 3-2 win over Cuba.
In March , Lee was called up to the South Korea national baseball team again for the 2009 World Baseball Classic
2009 World Baseball Classic
The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the...
. He went 4-for-18 with one RBI and four runs, sharing the starting center field position with Lee Jong-Wook
Lee Jong-wook (baseball)
Lee Jong-wook is a South Korean outfielder who plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korean professional baseball league.- Professional career :...
. After the WBC, Lee was out with an ankle injury for the first three months of the 2009 KBO season, running into the outfield wall during the Tigers' 2009 home opener against the SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns Baseball Club is a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 2000. Based in Incheon, they play their home games at Munhak Baseball Stadium.Their current manager is Man Soo Lee .-History:...
on April 7. Lee returned from injury in early July, but his batting performance dipped, ending the season with a batting average of .266 and 45 hits.
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Games Asian Games The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the... |
 |
.222 BA (4-for-18), 1 RBI, 10 R, 3 BB, 2 SB | ||
| Final Olympic Qualification Tournament |  |
.400 BA (10-for-25), 4 RBI, 11 R, 5 BB, 1 SB | ||
| Olympic Games Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held from August 13 to August 23. All games were played at Wukesong Baseball Field, a temporary venue constructed at the Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center... |
|
.481 BA (13-for-27, 2nd in BA), 4 RBI, 8 R | ||
| World Baseball Classic 2009 World Baseball Classic The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the... |
|
.222 BA (4-for-18), 1 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB, 2 SB | ||
| Guangzhou Asian Games | |
.143 BA (2-for-14), 2 RBI, 6 R, 1 SB | ||
Career statistics
| Year | Age | Team | Lg | Pos | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | TB | SB | CS | SH | BB | HBP | SO | GIDP | E | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 19 | LG LG Twins LG Twins Baseball Club is a Korea Professional Baseball team based in Seoul, South Korea. The club was known as the MBC Blue Dragons owned by the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation until , when they were taken over by the LG Group... |
KBO Korea Baseball Organization The Korea Baseball Organization is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. KBO should not be confused with the Korea Professional Baseball League. KBO was founded in 1981 and has been governing two leagues, Korea Professional Baseball and Futures League since... |
LF Left fielder In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound... |
52 | 62 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 1 | .129 | .200 | .145 | .345 |
| 2005 | 20 | KIA Kia Tigers Kia Tigers Professional Baseball Club is a Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982. The Tigers are a member team of the Korean Baseball Organization and the most successful team in Korean baseball having won the national championship, the Korean Series, ten times, with a perfect 10-0... |
RF Right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound... |
124 | 414 | 57 | 110 | 17 | 2 | 5 | 37 | 146 | 31 | 10 | 17 | 39 | 9 | 21 | 6 | 0 | .266 | .330 | .353 | .683 | |
| 2006 | 21 | 125 | 485 | 78 | 154 | 25 | 9 | 1 | 39 | 200 | 38 | 11 | 8 | 50 | 9 | 48 | 6 | 1 | .318 | .386 | .412 | .798 | |||
| 2007 | 22 | CF Center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field... |
118 | 439 | 61 | 123 | 17 | 8 | 0 | 27 | 156 | 17 | 11 | 8 | 37 | 7 | 40 | 4 | 1 | .280 | .340 | .355 | .695 | ||
| 2008 | 23 | 106 | 417 | 62 | 130 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 38 | 166 | 28 | 9 | 6 | 47 | 3 | 37 | 4 | 2 | .312 | .381 | .398 | .779 | |||
| 2009 | 24 | 50 | 169 | 32 | 45 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 59 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 4 | 21 | 1 | 0 | .266 | .364 | .349 | .713 | |||
| 2010 | 25 | 129 | 472 | 74 | 145 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 51 | 175 | 25 | 12 | 10 | 64 | 9 | 50 | 10 | 3 | .307 | .398 | .371 | .769 | |||
| 2011 | 26 | 111 | 421 | 84 | 140 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 33 | 169 | 30 | 6 | 7 | 63 | 9 | 33 | 5 | 1 | .333 | .427 | .401 | .829 | |||
| Total | KBO | OF | 815 | 2879 | 451 | 855 | 127 | 31 | 12 | 241 | 1080 | 180 | 66 | 64 | 326 | 52 | 314 | 36 | 9 | .297 | .377 | .375 | .752 | ||
Bold = led KBO