It’s time for a veteran to show his class once again. Kiwoom Heroes veteran Lee Yong-kyu (38) will lead the team with the captain’s armband for the rest of the season.

“Yong-kyu will be the captain for the rest of the season,” Kiwoom head coach Hong Won-ki said before the team’s away game against the LG Twins in Jamsil on February 2.토토사이트

The captaincy is a familiar position for Yong-kyu, who is the team’s most senior member alongside Lim Chang-min. He served as captain of the Hanwha Eagles for two seasons (2017-2020), and as captain last year, he served as a focal point for the younger players, especially when he encouraged the team to fight to the sixth game against SSG Landers in last year’s Korean Series (KS), which left a strong impression on fans. With Lee Jung-hoo, who served as captain this season, sidelined after undergoing ankle surgery, Lee Yong-kyu was the right man to take over the role.

Hong said, “Yesterday (Jan. 1), I spoke with Lee Yong-kyu separately. “He said, ‘I’m aware of that, and I’ll do my best,’ so I’m sure he knows how important the rest of the season is,” Hong explained. Yong-kyu also led by example in pregame training.

Up until April 1, Yong-kyu had played in 36 games this season, batting .268 (30-for-112) with eight RBIs and a .362 on-base percentage without a home run. After missing 74 days (May 10-July 22) with a sore back of his right hand, he returned to bat .328 (9-for-28) with nine RBIs.

“I thought the team needed a centerpiece in a tough situation,” Hong said, “so I asked (Yong-kyu) to play. It’s a tough situation for him, but I hope he’ll try harder for the rest of the season for the team,” Hong said. “We tried to fill in the gaps that didn’t work last year, but it didn’t all go as planned,” he continued, “The biggest variable was injuries, which caused a chain reaction. We’re going to try to fill in the gaps and focus on the winnable games.”