Jung Ho Lee’s welcome to Major League Baseball moment wasn’t out of a movie, but the Korean language call of his first career home run sure was.
Lee made his MLB debut this week. This past offseason, the 25-year-old signed a six-year, $113 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. On Opening Day, he scored his first career hit, only to be picked off first base by San Diego Padres ace Yu Darvish.
That was rather forgettable. But the South Korea native, who played in the KBO League for the Kiwoom Heroes, will never forget his first career home run. And we won’t forget the call either.
Facing a 1-1 count in the top of the eighth inning, the lefty slugger launched a slider from Padres pitcher Tom Cosgrove for a home run, extending the Giants’ lead to 4-1.
The Korean call of Hoo Lee’s home run was uploaded on Monday, and it was awesome.
https://twitter.com/SFGiants/status/1774870240859672978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1774870240859672978%7Ctwgr%5E808c33cb06ee7ba0a1abcf088f5b61131f7634b2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FSFGiants%2Fstatus%2F1774870240859672978
You don’t have to speak or understand Korean to realize the excitement in the commentator’s voice on the home run. Calling a first career home run is one thing, but to call one with a top Korean baseball player hitting the home run is next level.
And if that level of excitement wasn’t enough, his teammates gave him a celebratory beer shower.
OH MY GOD pic.twitter.com/qqWcsfW1lf
— jacob (@mikeyastrzemski) March 31, 2024
Lee’s night was unforgettable. His home run ignited a six-run rally in the eighth inning for the Giants. Though the Padres clawed back with five runs in the ninth, Lee’s 1-for-4 night with a homer and two RBI proved crucial in securing the 9-6 win.
While it wasn’t a walk-off homer like Ji Hwan-Bae’s heroics for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Lee’s contribution was still significant. This performance etched a special moment in his memory, and the Korean call of his home run etched a special moment, too.
[SF Giants on Twitter/X]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.