Lee Dae-ho's return

At a Major League game held at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas in April 2016, a relaying camera showed two grinning Korean players on the first base. It was the moment when Seattle Mariners first baseman Lee Dae-ho met Texas Rangers right fielder Choo Shin-soo who got a walk on a hit by a pitched ball. At that time, the media described the scene as the first dual between the Korean Major League fielders.

Choo introduced Lee to the world of baseball when they were in their third year at Sooyoung Elementary School in Busan. From his early years, Choo took baseball seriously and transferred to the school where it has traditionally been dominating children’s baseball league. There, he spotted a big boy behind him, and told his coach that “there’s a high school student in our school,” which immediately intrigued the coach. This was the story told by Choo when he appeared on a TV program in 2010. Choo and Lee learned to play baseball right from their early years, inhaling all that dust all the way through the world’s greatest dream league. Indeed, it must have been a tremendously emotional moment for the two lads.

Another pair with the same age who was born in 1982 is Hanwha Eagles first baseman Kim Tae-gyun and second baseman Jeong Keun-woo. The four played a pivotal role in winning the 2000 18U Baseball World Cup, grabbing the silver medal at the 2009 World Baseball Classics (WBC), and a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games. Lucky for opponents, as they never had to face the right-handed Lee Dae-ho and the left-handed Choo Shin-soo both at the same time except national games.

Lee who recently announced his success in the U.S. is now returning his old club, Lotte Giants. As Busan full of baseball fans, citizens are excited as Lee’s last dream is to win the KBO league with his junior team members. The last four years were brutal for Giants, as they never made it to the pennant race since Lee played for Giants as the 4th hitter at Giants from 2008 to 2011 and then left to Japan. Home fans that normally filled 1.3 million seats every year left the stadiums as well. As Choo and Lee will near their contract termination in 2020, Giants fans will be eager to see both of them wearing the same uniform soon. Busan fans will scream the team anthem “Busan Seagull” for the “two old buddies.” Given that Lee Seung-yeop recorded his 600th homerun in Korea and Japan at the age of 40, this will not be a far-fetched wish. Of course, this best scenario will be feasible only when Choo is unleashed from the 2007 special draft contract on global league players signed with SK Wyverns.