Lee Jin-young

Lee Jin-Young
KT Wiz – No. 35
Right fielder
Born: (1980-06-15) June 15, 1980
Bats: Left Throws: Left
KBO debut
May 10, 1999, for the Ssangbangwool Raiders
KBO statistics (through 2011)
Batting average	.302
Home runs	132
RBI	616
Teams
Ssangbangwool Raiders (1999) SK Wyverns (2000–2008) LG Twins (2009–2015) KT Wiz (2016– )

Lee Jin-young

Medal record
Competitor for  South Korea
Men's baseball
Olympics
	2008 Beijing	Team
World Baseball Classic
	2009 Los Angeles	Team
	2006 San Diego	Team

Lee Jin-Young (Hangul: 이진영, Hanja: 李晋暎) (born June 15, 1980 in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea) is a South Korean right fielder who plays for the KT Wiz in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws left-handed.

Amateur career

Attending Gunsan Commerce High School in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, Lee was considered the best high school hitter. He was also a highly regarded left-handed power pitcher who threw in the mid-90s as a starter. In 1997, he was selected for the South Korea national junior team that finished in 5th place at the 1997 World Junior Baseball Championship held in Moncton, Canada.

Notable international careers

Year	Venue	Competition	Team	Individual Note
1997	Canada	World Junior Baseball Championship	5th	.409 BA (9-for-22), SB title
1998	Japan	Asian Junior Baseball Championship		All-Star (OF)

Professional career

SK Wyverns

Upon graduation from Gunsan High School, Lee was drafted by the Ssangbangwool Raiders, which became the SK Wyverns after the 1999 season, in the first round of the 1999 KBO Draft. Lee made his debut in the pro league against the Hanwha Eagles in Gunsan on May 10, 1999. Appearing in 65 games, he finished his rookie year in 1999 with a .258 batting average, 4 home runs and 13 RBIs.

Next season, Lee became a fixture in right field for the SK Wyverns, appearing in 105 games. However, his batting average dipped to .245, stealing a career-low 2 bases.

In 2001, Lee bounced back from the sophomore slump, batting a respectable .280 with 90 hits, 7 home runs, 16 doubles and 9 stolen bases.

From 2002 through 2004, he notched three consecutive seasons batting .300+, and won his first Golden Glove Award in 2004.

Along with his batting accuracy, the strong left-armed Lee, the former power pitcher prospect, is also well known for superb defensive skills in right field, which enable him to collect many outfield assists every season. At the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006, his defensive skills drew international attention, making acrobatic catches and outfield assists in the tournament.

In the 2007 KBO season, he missed over 40 regular-season games due to injuries, but batted a career-high .350 with 77 hits in 220 at-bats.

In 2008, Lee was placed on the disabled list again and missed 30 games during the season, but batted .300-plus again (.315) with 102 hits in 324 at-bats, compiling 8 home runs, 53 RBIs and a career-high 12 stolen bases.

LG Twins

Lee became a free agent after the 2008 season and signed a one-year deal with the LG Twins on November 20, 2008.

Prior to the 2009 season, Lee was selected for the South Korea national baseball team, and competed in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. In the WBC, Lee batted .250 and drove in 7 runs, appearing in all 9 games. In the Team Korea's first game against Chinese Taipei, he smacked a grand slam in the first inning off the Cleveland Indians’ prospect Lee Chen-Chang to power Olympic champions Korea to a 9-0 win. In Round 2, Lee smacked a 2-RBI single off Yu Darvish in the top of the first inning to lead his team to a 4-1 victory over Japan, which assured South Korea a spot in the semifinals.

Notable international careers

Year	Venue	Competition	Team	Individual Note
2002	Cuba	Intercontinental Cup		.333 BA (12-for-36), 8 RBI, 2 SB, All-Star (OF)
2003	Japan	Asian Baseball Championship		.125 BA (1-for-8)
2006	United States	World Baseball Classic		.150 BA (3-for-20)
2006	Qatar	Asian Games		.500 BA (10-for-20), 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R
2008	Chinese Taipei	Final Olympic Qualification Tournament		.143 BA (2-for-14), 3 RBI, 1 SB
2008	China	Olympic Games		.333 BA (6-for-18)
2009	United States	World Baseball Classic		.250 BA (4-for-16), 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 1 SB

External links

• Profile and stats on the KBO official site