It’s hard to have a more memorable day than Jung Hoo Lee.
The 25-year-old Korean outfielder, playing in his first MLB season after joining the Giants on a six-year, $113 million contract during the winter, was given a beer shower by teammates Saturday after smashing his first big-league home run.
Video posted to social media shows Lee sitting in a cart in a shower and saying “I love you” before his teammates douse him with beer.
More than beer, it appears, as he said through interpreter Justin Han it was an “everything” shower, per the San Francisco Chronicle.
Though he did manage to get the home run ball back, it was hardly a sentimental moment for the former Korean Baseball League star, even as he traded three autographed balls and a hat for the ball.
“It was just a feeling where I hit a home run and another point to the team,” he said of the home run, according to the Chronicle.
The Giants (2-1) subsequently won 9-6 against the Padres, aided by Lee’s home run, which arrived in a six-run inning that was capped off by a grand slam from former Mets outfielder Michael Conforto.
“He’s incredible,” Conforto told the Chronicle of Lee, who is 4-for-12 in three games. “We love watching him hit. Everybody’s watching when he’s up there, just his discipline, his desire to play, his ability to stay on pitches, stay to the middle of the field and obviously we saw a little bit of power — a lot of power if he gets the right pitch. Everybody was fired up. That was a cool, cool moment for me and the rest of the guys.”
Along with the home run, Lee also recorded an RBI with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.
So far this season, he has four RBIs.
Lee hit 65 homers in eight KBO seasons.
“It’s not about how I get evaluated right now,” Lee said in regards to his power, “but back in the KBO, I got a lot of doubles, triples, and I’m just thinking about the bat-to-ball skills.”
