Thinking about last year...

San Francisco Giants' Lee Jung-hoo is effectively experiencing his first full-time major league season this year. During a home game against the Cincinnati Reds at San Francisco's Oracle Park on May 13 last year (Korea time), he collided with the outfield wall while attempting to catch a ball hit by Jeimer Candelario. As a result of the collision with the wall, Lee dislocated his left shoulder and underwent surgery for a torn labrum, ultimately ending his season early due to injury.

And this year, Lee has returned from his shoulder injury and is having his first full-time season. In the batting order, he is responsible for the San Francisco offense, and with solid defense in the center field position, he has become a key player for the team.

Still, he surely cannot forget the nightmare and moments of last year's shoulder injury. When seeing him go after a ball that is headed toward the wall, just as in his injury situation last year, the coaching staff worries, and the player inevitably feels pressure. However, Lee is showing the process of shaking off the nightmare of injury and overcoming it.

On the 13th, during a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, Lee faced a defensive situation similar to last year's, with a 7-5 lead in the bottom of the ninth. The first batter, Jordan Beck, hit a ball heading deep toward left-center. Considering that Coors Field is located at a high altitude where balls carry well, the outfield is designed to be spacious, and the ball was heading toward the deepest part of the outfield. The distance of this hit was approximately 420 feet (128 m).

However, Lee pursued the ball until the end and did not hesitate to catch it, even against the wall. He was not afraid of the collision. The wall that Lee collided with was 7 feet high, while the height of the left-center wall at Coors Field was 8 feet. The only difference was the left and right positions, but the environment was similar for both balls.

Lee caught Beck's hit by colliding with the wall and briefly roared while hitting his chest with his right hand. It was important for the game situation, and personally for Lee, it was a defensive play that helped him shake off the trauma of his injury.

The broadcast team of 'NBC Sports Bay Area,' which exclusively covers San Francisco Giants games, admired Lee's daring defense but also expressed concern. The commentators noted, "It was really an amazing play. Lee never doubted that he could catch the ball. He had to cover a huge distance, yet he handled it naturally from the deepest part of the outfield," and took a quick look to see where the ball ended up. They were impressed with the perfect defense.

They added, "Thinking about what happened last year when he collided with the wall, it's understandable to feel nervous every time such a scene occurs. While this hasn’t happened a lot, he showed it well. It was an incredible defense," and praised Lee's performance by saying, "If a novice hasn’t had much experience at Coors Field, it’s not an easy ballpark. The ball flies very far. If they lack that experience, it becomes even harder. However, Lee controlled himself well and handled the game calmly," praising Lee's exceptional defensive play as he overcame his nightmare.

However, despite Lee's great defense and roar, San Francisco suffered a shock loss, with a final score of 7-8, failing to achieve an 8-game winning streak.

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