KT Wiz outfielder steals bases to fulfill dream
Lee poised to become KBO all-time leader in stolen bases
KT Wiz outfielder Lee Dae-hyung, 34, has been in the spotlight for two main reasons — his looks and awkward batting stance.
Among sports journalists, he is depicted as one of the most handsome men in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League. He also earned the nickname “the founder of bed swing” because of his batting stance.
When he stands at bat, he is leaning backward and his upper body becomes much lower than that of other players as if he is poised to lie down on bed.
One of his teammates once taunted him that someone should give him a pillow to help him have a good night’s sleep.
Lee doesn’t care much how he is portrayed. But there is one title he’s dying to achieve before he retires — the KBO all-time leader in stolen bases. As of Friday, his total stolen bases are 501 — only 49 shy of the 550 KBO League record.
Considering his age and his career-high 66 stolen bases in the 2010 season, his goal seems to be achievable.
His ambition has grown as his goal has become within reach.
Lee succeeded in his milestone 500 stolen bases in a July 13 game against the Samsung Lions.
He is the third KBO Leaguer to have achieved 500 or more stolen bases, following NC Dinos Coach Jeon Joon-ho, who had stolen 550 bases during his 19 seasons, and former Kia Tigers outfielder Lee Jong-beom with 510.
KT Wiz outfielder Lee said stealing a base is easier said than done.
“Stealing a base is something you cannot do if you have no confidence in your base running,” he said in an interview. “If your attempt to steal a base fails, you naturally feel pressure when you try it again in the next inning or next game. So you need to build up sort of confidence that you can do it.”
Lee said he had no pressure about stealing bases, despite his age.
Base stealers are prone to suffer injuries more often than those who don’t try and so the frequency of stealing bases tends to reduce as play- ers get older.
Lee said fast base running and physical fitness are two key elements that make a great base thief like him. “A healthy dietary habit also counts,” he said. Lee said he tried not to eat much before a game to better prepare himself to steal bases.
His rate of success this season is 81.8 percent, meaning he was outplayed two times out of every 10 attempts to steal bases.
Baseball analysts say players great at stealing bases are an asset to baseball clubs.
Park Myung-hwan, a retired pitcher who played for the Doosan Bears, the LG Twins and the NC Dinos before he retired from the KBO in 2015 after the season, said great thieves are born, not made.
“One may think fast runners, such as the world’s fastest sprinter Usain Bolt, can be great at stealing bases. This is not true,” he said. “Stealing bases require players to have a high level of judgment about when to steal.”
Park said base stealers add pressure on pitchers.
“If there’s no base runner, pitchers can fully focus on their pitches because their only target is the batter,” he said. “But once there is a base runner who is great at stealing bases, pitchers are distracted and feel mounting pressure because they have to control their pitches and at the same time prevent the base runners from stealing bases.”
The retired Tigers outfielder Lee earned the nickname of “the Son of Wind” for his fast base running and unrivaled skill at stealing bases. Compared to KT Wiz Lee, the older Lee used to steal bases when he was at second base.
“Pitchers struggle even more to prevent runners from stealing a base if they are at second base. The Tigers’ Lee took advantage of such a difficulty pitchers face and was able to steal 510 bases during his career in the KBO League,” said Park.
The older Lee had played for the Japanese baseball club Chunichi Dragons for three seasons from 1998 and his record during the three seasons was not included in the tally.
KT Wiz Lee achieved his 500 stolen bases at age 33 years and 11 months, becoming the youngest KBO leaguer to have that record.
Currently he is placed third in the stolen bases rankings of this season, following Lions centerfielder Park Hae-min (25) and Kia Tigers outfielder Roger Bernadina (19).