Lee Jung-hoo heads to U.S.

[Anchor]

Lee Jung-hoo from San Francisco Giants has left for the United States to prepare for his second season in Major League Baseball.

In his first year in the U.S., he ended the season early due to an injury.

Now is the time for him to prove his true worth.

This is a report by Moon Young-kyu.

[Report]

After returning home last October, Lee Jung-hoo focused solely on rehabilitation without media exposure, and he is confident about his perfect physical condition before leaving for the U.S.

[Lee Jung-hoo/San Francisco Giants: "The team provided a (rehabilitation) schedule, and the trainers came to Korea to train with me, so now my physical condition is at 100%."]

Lee Jung-hoo received high expectations with a lucrative contract worth $113 million, but he ended the season early last May due to a shoulder injury.

Ultimately, he played in 37 games, hitting 2 home runs with a batting average of 0.262, and he stated that his excessive eagerness was a problem, revealing that he has a different mindset for this season.

[Lee Jung-hoo/San Francisco Giants: "I think I need to manage that eagerness well. It's not just a state of overflowing confidence; I feel more calm, so my mindset is actually better than last year."]

The matchup between Lee Jung-hoo and his former teammate Kim Hye-seong, who signed with the LA Dodgers, a rival team in the National League West, is also highly anticipated.

[Lee Jung-hoo/San Francisco Giants: "(Kim Hye-seong) is like Park Ji-sung, who played for Manchester United, and I want to describe him that way. Since we are playing in the same (West) division, I think I am in the same position, so we talked about encouraging each other."]

Leaving behind the regrets of his first year, it is a year where much is at stake for Lee Jung-hoo to establish himself as a big leaguer.

KBS News, Moon Young-kyu.