“Since I have the heart to sacrifice for the team… I'm grateful and sorry to the manager.”

Hanwha Eagles manager Kim Kyung-moon said this about infielder Lee Do-yoon (29) at the beginning of the season. Although Lee, who has played as a starting shortstop for Hanwha for the past two years, has had his role changed to backup with the arrival of free agent Sim Woo-jun, he could have been disheartened after giving up the hard-won starting position. However, Lee is preparing for any position in the infield without hesitation and lifts the atmosphere in the dugout with his unique fighting spirit.

Manager Kim also took note of Lee Do-yoon’s attitude. Kim praised Lee, saying, “What I like about him is that he was a starter until last year. He has dropped back with the arrival of a free agent, but since he has the heart to sacrifice for the team, I’m grateful and sorry to the manager.” He added that “there are times when he has to show his skills depending on how the opponent moves; he follows bench signs well and is a player who excels in team play.”

Lee demonstrated the reason for Manager Kim’s trust. On the 4th against KT, Lee started as the 9th batter and second baseman and led the team to a 4-3 comeback victory with a game-winning hit in the 7th inning with two outs and runners on second and third, turning a 1-2 deficit around. With this victory, Hanwha in second place closed the gap to 0.5 games behind first-place LG.

With one out and runners on second and third, a pinch hitter, Choi Jae-hun, struck out swinging, almost breaking the momentum, but Lee rekindled the flame. Although it was a pinch-hitting situation, Manager Kim pushed for Lee. Earlier in the 5th inning, Lee had been caught out by a superb catch from KT’s center fielder Ahn Hyun-min, but since he had made a large hit to the fence, Manager Kim believed in Lee’s instincts.

Lee Do-yoon, who had a foul on the first pitch high fastball from KT starter Oh Won-seok, hit a curveball that came in high and inside on the second pitch. It turned into a go-ahead two-RBI hit that fell in front of the right fielder. It was the moment he repaid Manager Kim’s faith. After that, when Estevan Florial was at bat, Lee advanced to second base on a wild pitch and rushed home past third base on Choi In-ho’s infield single.

After the game, Lee Do-yoon said, “I was really regretting the hit I made in the 5th inning (which was caught), but getting the game-winning hit made it even more thrilling. It was a difficult pitch to hit, but I thought if I didn’t swing, the ball count would be unfavorable, so I swung actively, and the result turned out well.”

Although there were pinch-hitting options like Ahn Chi-hong, Choi In-ho, and Hwang Young-mook, Manager Kim trusted Lee Do-yoon. Lee, who thought to himself that he might be substituted for a pinch hitter, smiled and said, “I hurriedly went in on purpose. I didn’t look back and quickly stepped up to the plate.” He had a strong desire to solve the situation without shrinking during crucial moments, and his active swing paid off. His batting average this season is .221, but he has shown decisiveness with 21 hits and 18 RBIs in clutch situations.

Lee’s vigorous running, sprinting from second to home after Choi In-ho’s infield single, was a fundamental play. Lee Do-yoon said, “I started early from second base and didn’t see (the situation at first base), but I saw the signal from the third base coach. I trusted the coach’s signal and ran all the way,” referring the credit to third base coach Kim Jae-gul.

Although not a guaranteed starter, Lee Do-yoon has been performing consistently in the position the team needs, saying, “I always hope to be a starter, but when I’m not, I think a lot about what I should do from the back. Regardless of when or how I play, my commitment to doing my best does not change. I always prepare well and wait.”

Regarding Manager Kim’s expression of “a grateful and sorry player,” Lee Do-yoon said, “The manager looks after the players a lot in places unseen. We players always feel this.” He added, “The manager gives a lot of encouragement to players who are not starters. He always says, ‘You all need to do better for the team to get stronger. You are doing well,’ boosting morale and confidence. Because of this, players coming in after are working even harder to do their part.” Manager Kim believes that a strong backup creates a strong team, and the players recognize this truth, with Lee Do-yoon at the center.

Personally, there was a happy event as well. On the 26th of last month, his second daughter was born. Lee Do-yoon, who has become a father of a son and a daughter, said with a smile, “I feel like my shoulders are going to fall off. I need to do better,” and pledged, “As the team is doing well, I will be a player who contributes even a little more.”

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