LG Twins prospect Lee Joo-hyung (22) will soon finish his military service and return to the team. During his last vacation, he came to the 2nd Army camp, did rehab and went back.
Icheon LG Champions Park on the 17th. Under the direction of Hwang Byeong-il, the 2nd division coach, the 2nd division spring camp was underway. Lee Joo-hyung, who is still a soldier, took a vacation and trained for a while at the 2nd Army camp.
Lee Joo-hyung, who said that this was the last day of vacation, announced the current situation, saying, “I will be discharged next Wednesday (22nd).” Lee Joo-hyung, who was nominated by LG in the second round of the 2020 rookie draft (13th overall), was an infield prospect with a talent for hitting.
Lee Joo-hyung had a batting average of 3.56 (31 hits in 87 at-bats), 4 homers, 22 RBIs, 23 walks and 11 strikeouts in the 2nd group in 2020. Even in 2021, he had a batting average of 3.3 in the second team, and then enlisted in the military in September. During the season, the enlistment notice came out, and I had to serve in the military as an active duty soldier.
Lee Joo-hyung said, “I’m serving somewhere in Seoul.” “I only did weights and running while serving in the military. He just took the bat and swinged it at the break,” he explained. It is a position with a lot of working hours토토사이트, so there is little personal break time.
While in his army, he also had time to reflect on himself. Lee Joo-hyung said, “Since he served as a soldier, he felt grateful to do what he likes (baseball) as a job.”
I found some comfort in the lack of leisure and impatience of my rookie days. He said, “I was in the opening entry for the 2021 season and there was nothing to show. Other players (Moon Bo-kyung, Lee Young-bin, etc.) showed good performances as soon as they got into the 1st team, but I did well in the 2nd team, but when I went up to the 1st team, I lost my confidence. I could have done it at my own pace, but I thought a lot about that part” looking back on the past time.
Active duty service, which is neither a commercial baseball team nor a social worker, is inevitable for a baseball player to have a gap in actual combat and technical training for a period of 1 year and 6 months.
Lee Joo-hyung said, “When I was in the army, I didn’t go to time, but after coming here and training for a while, it seems like yesterday, and it’s not awkward. A year and a half is a long time, but it seems like yesterday when I came back. It’s already been 4 years. I have more younger siblings,” he said with a laugh.
When you are discharged, you will immediately join the rehabilitation group, not the second group camp. It’s not because of any injuries. Lee Joo-hyung said, “After returning from the military, there is a 3-month program in the rehabilitation army. He builds up his body step by step in the training part,” he said. I think I will go to the 2nd team game in May at the earliest. If you come back quickly and get injured, or if you can’t do it, it’s a negative, so I think it’s okay to slow down.”
The goal of this season is to come up to the first team in the second half. Lee Joo-hyung said, “I want to be in the first team in the second half and be that member when LG wins. I want to wear a championship ring,” he said with a laugh.
“Especially when I was working the night shift, I had a lot of time to think, so it was a time to think deeply. It’s baseball that I started because I liked it, and I came to the pro because I did well, but I think I should work harder with pride.”