Full Count (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - The Fall of Giants - full transcript
Lee Daeho fights for his final dream of winning before retirement.
(loud thud)
(bat clacks)
REPORTER: Lee Daeho of the Lotte Giants,
who was known
as Joseon's Number-Four Hitter,
is retiring from the field.
CASTER: Lee Daeho's hit!
It goes over the wall!
The number-four hitter of the Giants!
DAEHO: My goal was to play
for the first team
when I switched over to a hitter.
(clacks)
My dream is to become
an irreplaceable hitter at Lotte.
PLAYER 1: Daeho
is the greatest baseball star to me.
REPORTER: Lee Daeho,
who plays for the Lotte Giants,
set a world record today, hitting
home runs in nine consecutive games.
PLAYER 2: I worshipped him
when I was young.
He was my favorite player.
CASTER: Behind the left fielder!
It goes over!
Lee Daeho!
PLAYER 3: He's someone I can't evaluate.
PLAYER 4: When it comes
to batting, he's a genius.
BUSAN
SAJIK BASEBALL STADIUM
ANNOUNCER: We will now begin
Lee Daeho's retirement ceremony
with a big round of applause
from all the fans!
(crowd applauding and cheering)
SUTTON (exhales in English):
What does retirement mean?
It's almost like a big, deep breath.
I've given everything that I can
and there's just like this sigh of...
"Okay. Now I can
and try to start living a normal life.
What does life look like for me
after baseball?"
So it's kind of a mixed bag of emotions.
When I came to Korea, I was determined
to make the Lotte Giants champions.
It's been six years already.
I will give everything I have
and train the best I can
so that our team can win.
EP. 04
THE FALL OF GIANTS
What does winning mean?
My life goal.
I've never won before.
I'm not sure.
I'm curious.
Did KT Wiz win last year?
This is the very goal
we are playing 144 games for.
It's been a long time
since the Lotte Giants won.
I think all we need is for us to do well.
LOTTE GIANTS SANGDONG BASEBALL STADIUM
SPRING CAMP
-COACH: Nice. That's two outs.
-PLAYER: Okay!
DAEHO: Why aren't you answering?
Hey, have you taken a vow of silence?
No, sir!
-What?
-PLAYER: No, sir!
-COACH: Okay.
-Hey, the three of you.
-PLAYER: Yes?
-Keep it up for the next ten minutes.
-We got this!
-Yes!
(players yelling)
-(bat clacks)
-(player yelling)
-COACH: Nice!
-PLAYER: Yeah! Okay!
Who just said "nice"?
(indistinct chatter)
Are we ready?
Hello, everyone.
I'm Lee Daeho,
the Lotte Giants' number-four hitter.
Nice to meet you.
DAEHO: The season of 2022
was the last one before my retirement.
I usually work out for a month
before spring training.
But since it was my last season,
I wanted to do better.
So I trained for three to four months.
(clacks)
(exclaiming)
To be honest, I didn't expect it.
Players usually dislike
being the batting practice pitcher.
JUNWOO: But watching him volunteer for it,
I thought he was trying to give
a message to all the players.
I'll throw a fastball.
(clacks)
(Daeho hums pensively)
It was the last spring camp
with my juniors.
DAEHO: Even if I wanted
to teach them more things,
I won't be able to see them next year.
PLAYER (grunts): Thank you.
(clacks)
(yells)
In the front!
(grunts)
Donghui, you'll have trouble
if you get impatient.
Han Donghui has the largest build
on the team.
And he kind of resembles me
when I was younger.
He's a slugger,
so many refer to him as my successor.
I think it's an honor
rather than a burden.
I've been following the Lotte Giants
since I was young.
DONGHUI: During the draft,
I wanted to go to Lotte.
And that year,
Lee Daeho came back to Korea.
The thought of playing baseball with him
made me happy.
(clacks)
I think his reflexes and physique
are similar to Lee Daeho's.
He is flexible and a great hitter.
-Donghui, let's go!
-DONGHUI: Yes, sir.
(singing)
♪ I love you ♪
DAEHO: Even before I came to Korea,
I hoped that Han Donghui
would surpass me quickly.
Let's go have a meal in Seomyeon
with some of our players next week.
Up to six people can enter.
Let's get two tables.
(Daeho sings)
DONGHUI: This was the final season
we were playing together.
So naturally,
I followed him around to learn
as much from him as possible.
(clacks)
(all yelling)
PLAYER 1: It's okay! Good job!
PLAYER 2: It's not okay!
LG TWINS AND KT WIZ
ARE PERFECTING THEIR LINEUP
WHAT ABOUT THE LOTTE GIANTS?
LEE DAEHO'S THOUGHTS ON 2022 RETIREMENT
QUESTIONABLE FUTURE FOR LOTTE,
FIGHT FOR LAST PLACE WITH HANWHA?
CASTER 1: It seems like this season
will be tough for the Lotte Giants.
CASTER 2: That's right.
Their lineup isn't strong enough
to overwhelm the other teams.
The day before the article was released,
we were warned and got a heads-up.
But I still couldn't believe it.
REPORTER: Pro-baseball player Son Ahseop
is leaving Lotte,
a team he's been with for 15 years,
and joining the NC Dinos.
WONJUNG: After he signed
with his new team, I got a call.
He video-called me
wearing his NC Dinos jacket.
WONJUNG: I thought, "He's really leaving."
I had told him to stop lying.
But it wasn't a lie.
(heavy exhale)
Ahseop called me
the day before his signing.
He explained to me why he was leaving.
It was frustrating.
(disappointed chuckle)
It's obvious that Son Ahseop
leaving our team
would play as a negative factor.
HOST 1: Which team
do you think you have to beat
in order for you to win the season?
HOST 2: Your rival team.
Go ahead, Son Ahseop.
I think I have to beat the Lotte Giants
for the NC Dinos' fans
who live in Gyeongnam to be happy.
I think we can win the season
if we beat Lotte.
In order to beat the NC Dinos,
we will beat Ahseop.
In the end, professional sports is
about joining a team that really needs me.
It is my duty
to devote myself and use my abilities
for this team.
CASTER 1: He was one
of the star players of the Lotte Giants.
But they let him go.
But do they have a player as good as him?
If a player
who can replace Son Ahseop emerges,
Lotte Giants fans
would forget about Son Ahseop.
But if not, this will be revisited
over and over again.
It is quite worrisome.
CASTER 2: The opening game
of Lotte and Kiwoom of the 2022 Season.
People are free to make predictions
since the season hasn't started,
but the players don't agree
with that prediction.
We trained our best.
I believe the results can change.
CASTER 2: Lee Daeho hasn't won
the Korean Series before.
To be exact, he's never played
in the Korean Series.
DAEHO: I was born in Busan.
So I naturally followed the Lotte Giants.
My first and foremost goal
was to join the Giants as a player.
So when I joined the team,
I sincerely hoped to win.
(clacks)
CASTER 2: It travels deep
along the shortstop.
The first game out
of the 144-game journey.
Lee Daeho begins with a hit.
D-144 GAMES
First of all,
I think the facilities and the atmosphere
of NC Dinos are definitely better.
CASTER: The first game between
the NC Dinos and Lotte Giants this season.
The Son Ahseop Derby
will begin shortly in Changwon.
For 15 years, Son Ahseop
wore a Lotte uniform
and ate at the same table
with the opposing players.
DONGHUI: With Ahseop leaving
for another team,
I was happy to see him as a fielder.
So I thought,
"I'm going to kill him out there."
(crowd cheering and whistling)
(clacks)
CASTER: It pops up to the left.
The third baseman in foul territory.
Han Donghui calls the catch.
One out.
The seventh hitter, Han Donghui.
(clacks)
An outside pitch.
He throws the bat, and it's a fair ball!
He advances to second.
The game is over.
Lotte Giants beat NC Dinos
in a local derby match.
They take the first win.
DONGHUI: They say
that our lineup has gotten weaker,
but what Daeho said was
that you don't win or lose a baseball game
because you have a weaker lineup.
He also said
if we continue to try our best,
a win will surely follow.
CASTER: Han Donghui of the Lotte Giants,
who is known as Little Lee Daeho,
has won the MVP of the Month
for the first time.
Han Donghui's performance exploded.
When I saw him bat early this season,
I thought, "It's finally happening."
-(clacks)
-(crowd erupts)
CASTER 1: This ball
stretches out to the left!
And it goes over the wall!
CASTER 2: Little Lee Daeho and Lee Daeho.
It seems like the time is coming
for Daeho to pass down the crown.
I couldn't believe how well he performed.
I was shocked.
BA: 0.427, FIRST PLACE
HOME RUN: 7, FIRST PLACE
SLG: 0.764, FIRST PLACE
OBP: 0.485, FIRST PLACE
CASTER 3: It flies all the way
out of this stadium!
Han Donghui! He's attempting
to reign over the 2022 KBO League
as the best hitter!
Back then,
when I was in the box, I felt like
I could hit whatever they threw at me.
I thought I wanted to do better.
I didn't want to come down
from being one of the best hitters.
CASTER 1: I think he changed his style.
CASTER 2: Lee Daeho's batted ball
flies to the left!
It goes over the wall!
CASTER 1: Lee Daeho
continues to bat so well,
-looking back at the past two days.
-CASTER 2: Yes.
CASTER 1: It feels like
he's back in his 20s.
Maybe putting down the burden
and relaxing made you much better.
Do you feel that way?
Not really. I tried my best,
and thankfully it's working out.
The team spirit is strong too.
Also, with Han Donghui performing so well,
I didn't want to fall behind him too much.
That's why I'm trying my best
to catch up to him.
HOON: At the time, when he said
he was going to retire that year...
(Hoon sucks teeth)
...I thought he was going
to change his mind.
I wanted him to retire in Korea
and join another league.
I knew he'd do great.
CASTER 1: The final out.
After 2,124 days,
Lotte Giants completed a sweep
against Samsung Lions.
CASTER 2: After 3,598 days,
the Lotte Giants completes a sweep!
JUNYONG: Including the starting
and relief pitchers,
we had a great lineup
of pitchers and hitters.
I pitched so well
at the beginning of the season.
REPORTER: For the first time
in the history of Lotte,
Lotte pitched three strikeouts
with nine pitches in the fifth.
If our performance continued,
I thought we might make it
to the Korean Series.
(in English) An immaculate inning
is when you throw nine pitches,
nine strikes, and three strikeouts.
He did it last night.
-(applauding)
-(translator speaks in Korean)
JUNWOO: Is Park Sewoong coming down?
-SEWOONG: I'm here, sir.
-JUNWOO: When did you get here?
-Just now.
-I was going to applaud from above.
I'm serious.
My teammates prepared
so well early in the season.
I think we all thought,
"Let's make something
big happen this year."
It's the last season for Daeho,
so we all wanted
to give him a goodbye gift.
Sewoong, come out here.
Let's give him a round of applause.
Everyone!
(clapping)
We're all doing so well.
The pitchers...
(inhales)
It's unbelievable how well you throw.
I just can't believe it.
-Sewoong. It's unbelievable.
-SEWOONG: Yes?
They went to check out NC Dinos today,
so it's time for us to crush them.
Don't mind anything else.
-Just care about us. Okay?
-We can crush them.
-PLAYERS: Yes, sir.
-DAEHO: Let's go for first.
It was my final season before retirement.
My teammates were focused,
and I felt that luck was on our side.
But baseball is certainly a tricky sport.
SEOUL
JAMSIL BASEBALL STADIUM
STAFF 1: "Number one,
left fielder Hwang Seongbin.
Number two, first baseman An Chihong.
Number three, designated hitter Lee Daeho.
Number four, third baseman Han Donghui."
REPORTER: Is Jeon Junwoo off today?
(in English) Yes. He's off today. He had
muscle spasms yesterday during the game.
He tried to play through it.
He played the rest of the game with it.
STAFF 2 (in Korean): Gosh.
(keyboards clacking)
STAFF 3: I'm sorry
for interrupting the interview,
but we need to change the lineup.
STAFF 4: There's an emergency.
Darn. This is driving me nuts.
(indistinct chatter)
-Can he really play?
-STAFF 5: Why'd he get hurt?
How did Han Donghui get injured?
SUTTON (in English):
Donghui has inflammation in his obliques.
There's no understanding of time period.
It could be three days,
or it could be up to two weeks.
Right now, we're going
to prepare for the worst
and we're going to hope for the best.
DONGHUI (in Korean):
I felt a pain in my side.
But I still played the game with bandages.
But on the day of my injury,
when I took a swing during practice,
something felt off.
CASTER 1: Han Donghui and Jeon Junwoo.
They are out of service today.
Both of them are out due to injuries.
JUNWOO: The moment I came home,
I almost ran into the pitcher.
So I had to stop all of a sudden,
and my calf muscle got stiff.
I was alarmed,
but I didn't think it was anything big.
LOTTE GIANTS SANGDONG BASEBALL STADIUM
LOTTE GIANTS SECOND TEAM
(indistinct chatter)
CASTER 2: I think we have
to check Jung Hoon's legs.
CASTER 3: His muscles?
He may have pulled a hamstring.
In the game, we were in a situation
where we could not allow a double play.
HOON: So I ran to first base
as if my life depended on it.
During my last three steps or so,
I felt something pop.
JUNG HOON
CASTER 1: He hits it.
The right fielder moves for it.
-CASTER 2: Wow!
-CASTER 1: This is...
And it looks like he'll keep running.
(crowd yelling)
DAEHO: You dropped
the ball yourself and tossed it away.
-TEAMMATE 1: I didn't even realize that.
-DAEHO: You didn't, huh?
TEAMMATE 2: Because you tossed
it naturally, the ballboy just caught it.
CASTER 1: Due to Go Seungmin's error
after the double,
Lee Hyungjong scores a run.
DAEHO: Taeyang
should've asked for the ball.
Seungmin can misunderstand
that it's an out since he was running.
(crowd chanting and clapping)
(yells)
(indistinct chatter)
This is no one's fault.
We all performed poorly.
We were all lacking.
Think about catching the ball yourself.
Don't rely on others
to catch the ball for you.
You have to think about
making the play yourself.
DAEHO: What we can do as players are
to run tirelessly
and to try our best until the end.
Those are the very basics.
Stick to the basics.
-Do you understand?
-ALL: Yes.
(players clapping)
(drum beating)
(clacks)
CASTER 1: Another batted ball
becomes a hit.
They are switching the pitchers here.
(crowd yelling)
(casters scream in excitement)
CASTER 2: Another push hit!
Barnes is having trouble
controlling his pitches.
REPORTER: The Lotte Giants
take a nose dive.
Their momentum in the early season
has vanished. They are in eighth place.
There are many risks. It's uncertain
if they'll make a comeback.
SECOND PLACE: LOTTE
EIGHTH PLACE: LOTTE
Junwoo, Hoon, Donghui.
The three key players
were all out of the game at once.
It's true that our team spirit
was down with them gone.
And with that,
our performance went down too.
CASTER 1: His 11th pitch.
The count is two and two.
-CASTER 2: That's in the zone.
-CASTER 1: He gets struck out frozen!
The end of 11 pitches.
It was a looking strikeout.
When we're playing through a season,
injuries are inevitable.
(deep inhale)
But it was just too much.
Even when I entered the field,
something didn't feel right.
CASTER 1: You can see how desperate he is.
I thought, "How do we overcome this?"
The fact that I was thinking like that
means the fans and the team
must've had a tougher time.
Chihong and Daeho
were the only two key players playing.
They kept telling Junwoo, Hoon, and me
that they'll hold out as best as they can,
so we should recover quickly
and come back to the game.
CASTER 1: In a situation like earlier,
Lee Daeho hit a ground ball
against Kim Yunsu's first pitch
and stepped out.
(clacks)
Lee Daeho's batted ball
flies to center-left.
The center fielder tracks it!
He fails to make the catch!
It's a walk-off home run!
The final runner comes home!
No other words are needed.
Lee Daeho of Lotte finishes the game!
(crowd cheering)
DONGHUI: It was the final season for him,
so watching him give his best each game
really touched my heart.
CHANGWON NC PARK
NAKDONG RIVER DERBY
It hurts so much.
Staying healthy is most important.
-I'm playing as a designated hitter today.
-I see.
(indistinct chatter)
-Are you a DH today?
-Yes.
DH: A HITTER THAT DOESN'T PLAY
AS A FIELDER TO FOCUS ON OFFENSE
-That's good news.
-Euiji said he's off today.
Euiji?
Remember Sparkman threw
a headshot at him? So I think he's...
-He's traumatized?
-Yes.
WOMAN: Ahseop, a high-five, please!
HOST: Please welcome
these two players with a big hand.
MAN: Please write it big.
(pen squeaking)
FAN: Good luck, Son Ahseop.
DAEHO: Thank you.
This is an NC Dinos ball.
Why do people keep bringing NC balls?
Get it autographed by an NC player.
Go to Ahseop.
I'm sorry but I can't sign that.
(snickers)
How do you expect me
to autograph an NC uniform?
It's fine.
But it's not fine for me.
Get it from Ahseop.
Hold on. Here.
(chuckles)
DAEHO: This is awkward.
So very awkward.
DAEHO: How do you expect me
to autograph an NC uniform?
-FAN: It's fine.
-DAEHO: But it's not fine for me.
My heart felt heavy.
We used to sign autographs
wearing our Lotte uniforms.
DAEHO: But we gave out autographs
while wearing different uniforms.
(Daeho hums)
I think a part of me is always thinking,
"It'd be great
if we were on the same team."
SON AHSEOP
-I'll see you tomorrow.
-DAEHO: See you, Ahseop.
STAFF: Thank you.
(lips smack)
MAN 1: He was here
with Son Ahseop until now.
MAN 2: We're on our way out now.
SANGDONG, GIMHAE LOTTE GIANTS SECOND TEAM
HOON: We play passionately every year.
Early this year,
thanks to Daeho announcing his retirement,
we were more motivated
to show a better performance.
I blamed myself.
As a senior player on the team,
I couldn't contribute much
to the team this season.
And I was sorry to Daeho.
JUNWOO: In a way,
it's the player's job to recover.
So I want to return as soon as possible.
This is an accident.
(chuckles)
A big accident.
-(mitt thuds)
-(all yell)
DAESEUNG: When the injured players
were playing for the second team,
they didn't have any issues going 100%.
We didn't see any issues until now,
so if rehab goes well today,
they'll be able to return
to the first team.
Han Donghui is back.
(all clapping)
We have to try our best and win.
We shouldn't fall behind. Let's do well.
I'd like to apologize to all the pitchers.
Barnes is pitching so well,
but the fielders can sometimes...
be a bit lacking.
Making errors are inevitable.
But I wish all the fielders
could focus on the basics
and play the game.
(all clapping)
JUNWOO: Hello, Daeho.
-DAEHO: Hey, Junwoo.
-JUNWOO: Hello.
-DAEHO: You feeling okay?
-JUNWOO: Yes, sir.
(clonks)
JUNWOO: Gosh.
Hoon, you can chat a lot now.
-HOON: Yes, sir.
-JUNWOO: Yeah.
We only had each other
back on the second team.
(Junwoo chuckles)
DAEHO: How did you think
I was without you guys?
Chihong sometimes talked to me.
No one even talked to me when I ate.
(laughter)
Not much going on, right?
-DAEHO: It was hard.
-It was...
DAEHO: Chihong and I are half-dead.
I see. Where's Chihong?
I love how you guys look so humble now.
(chuckles)
He became so humble.
And eat with Chihong
and Daeho when they're here.
-It breaks my heart.
-Yeah.
If you see them in the cafeteria,
don't avoid them.
I heard everything.
You guys will grow old too.
DAEHO: It's okay, I'll be gone soon.
(snickers)
That's why we should treat you better.
Treat him well, got it?
-Good work, everyone. Last week...
-Take it easy.
Could you please let me talk? Come on.
No one was talking to me down there,
so I really wanted to chat.
I was craving to chat.
Let me add to that.
Talk to these guys
when you go to the second team.
They didn't speak a word there.
He's talking so much
because we didn't talk much there.
When we enter the locker room,
they part like this.
No one spoke to us.
-We're back, so...
-DAEHO: You will all grow old too.
Let's train hard starting this week, okay?
-PLAYERS: Yes, sir!
-Let's go!
(clapping)
CASTER 1: Kia Tigers and Lotte Giants.
The most anticipated game of this week.
The difference
between fifth and sixth places
is six wins.
CASTER 2: From where Lotte is standing,
they don't want Kia to get more wins.
That's why Lotte has to win today's game.
(bat clacks)
CASTER 1: He hits the breaking ball.
A two-point RBI that brings
home the second baserunner as well.
Sparkman comes down from the mound.
Allowed five runs.
KIA 5 : 0 LOTTE
(mitt thuds)
CASTER 1: He goes for the steal.
He slides into second base,
and the ball bounces away.
(bat clacks)
CASTER 2: Another batted ball
flies deep into the right.
It bounces off the wall once again.
Both runners come running home.
A hard-hit ball to the right.
An Chihong misses the catch.
CASTER 1: The score is now nine to zero.
They are switching the pitcher
for the second time this inning.
CASTER 2: It seems difficult
to bring back the momentum.
CASTER 1: The ball travels deep
into the center
with the center fielder tracking it,
but he can't get the catch.
And it's gone! A two-run homer!
CASTER 2: Fifteen to zero.
CASTER 1: Sixteen to zero.
(crowd clapping)
Eighteen to zero.
First of all, it was utterly humiliating.
Losing a game is fine.
But losing like that is unacceptable.
(sniffles)
-(clacks)
-(crowd gasps)
CASTER 1: It flies high!
CASTER 2: This is Lotte playing
their seventh pitcher.
They played a pitcher they rarely play
when they are behind by this much.
CASTER 3: Choi Junyong,
the setup pitcher, takes the mound.
CASTER 1: I'm sure he has
some power saved up.
This ball goes over the wall!
JUNYONG: I took the mound thinking,
"They won't hit my pitches."
But they hit a homer against my pitch.
CASTER 1: The final score
is 23 to nothing.
This score is the largest difference
in runs in KBO history.
D-56 GAMES
JUNYONG: I was dumbfounded.
I saw the scoreboard, and it was 23 to 0.
I was so sorry to our fans.
As professional players,
we shouldn't have performed like that.
JUNYONG: Not a single player spoke
a word that day.
We were all silent.
We washed up without a word,
took care of our stuff, and went home.
INCOMPETENT PLAYERS SHOULDN'T FORCE
LOTTE FANS TO ROOT FOR THEM
OUR CHEERS ARE A LUXURY FOR PLAYERS
WHO AREN'T DESPERATE AND COMPETITIVE
UNDER LEE DAEHO'S FANCY LAST DANCE,
LOTTE TAKES A NOSE DIVE THIS YEAR
YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE
WITH LEE DAEHO AS HIS FINAL TEAM
YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE
WITH LEE DAEHO AS HIS FINAL TEAM
THE GENERAL MANAGER AND MANAGER
HAVE DISAPPOINTED THE FANS
REPORTER: The KBO decides
to host Lee Daeho's farewell tour.
He's the second player
to have such a tour in KBO history.
Those who contributed a lot
to the development of the KBO
get farewell tours.
It's amazing, and I'm jealous.
It's well-deserved.
A farewell tour is a must for him.
I thought it was amazing
that he was able to do the tour.
Though we're not on the same team,
the thought that we won't be
playing baseball together anymore...
I'm sad but I also think he's amazing.
It wasn't just the Lotte fans.
Baseball fans from all ten clubs
wanted him to change his mind
about retirement.
It was beautiful
how they all came together.
WITH THE BEGINNING OF ALL-STARS,
THE SECOND FAREWELL TOUR OF KBO,
LEE DAEHO'S FAREWELL TOUR WILL BEGIN
JAMSIL BASEBALL STADIUM
ALL-STAR GAME
-Hello.
-MAN: Hello.
DAEHO: Hey, guys.
-YONGTAIK: Hello.
-DAEHO: Yongtaik, hello.
Hello, sir.
Hello.
How are you?
I get all teary thinking
about the retirement ceremony.
I get so emotional.
I have no idea what to do.
The retirement ceremony?
I thought I wouldn't feel a thing,
but I couldn't sleep the night before.
Since I'm retiring this year...
about two years ago,
when I watched my seniors retire,
I get all teary.
I must be getting to that age.
Do you want a picture
with Mr. Choi Hyoungwoo?
-Here.
-Mr. Choi Hyoungwoo.
DAEHO: He'll be retiring soon.
He's next.
(sighs in English)
What does retirement mean?
-INTERVIEWER: To the baseball players.
-Oh, wow.
I think there's a lot of emotion.
Or I know that there's a lot of emotion.
You've given so much of yourself
to your professional career for so long.
You've given so much of yourself
and to the organizations.
When you know that
that's not going to be there anymore,
you're stepping away
from the game of baseball.
It's sad.
There's an emotional side to it where
you've done something for so long
and you've been successful at it.
LEE DAEHO
THANK YOU, WE LOVE YOU, FOREVER
MR. DAEHO
DON'T RETIRE
ANNOUNCER (in Korean): It's a shame
for all of us that he has to retire.
Joseon's Number-Four Hitter.
I introduce to you Lee Daeho!
Here he is.
Both teams!
Please give a big round of applause
to Lee Daeho and his family!
(crowd cheers and applauds)
ANNOUNCER: His wife, Shin Hyejung,
his daughter, Yeseo, and his son, Yeseung,
are coming over to Lee Daeho's side.
DAEHO: Don't cry.
Yes. Well, thank you so much.
-(camera shutters clicking)
-(deep inhale)
I thought my wife would cry more than me.
(snickers)
(crowd exclaiming)
(loud applause)
CROWD (chanting): Lee Daeho! Lee Daeho!
Lee Daeho! Lee Daeho!
CASTER 1: I wonder if there'll be
another player who'll retire like this.
CASTER 2: No.
No, probably not.
SUTTON (in English):
Being in the game for so long,
you've developed relationships with
your teammates, with your coaching staff.
And some of those relationships,
they're lifelong relationships,
friendships.
So the friendships
and those relationships,
you miss those the most
once you step away from the game.
-HYEONSU (in Korean): Don't. It's scary.
-DAEHO: Come on.
HYEONSU: It's all right.
DAEHO: Don't do that, man.
-Please.
-DAEHO: You might get injured.
-Everyone!
-It's okay.
(mouth clicking)
Daeho.
I won't get hurt.
-Let's throw him up in the air.
-Okay!
We need a lot of people
since Daeho is heavy.
-One more.
-DAEHO: I'm sorry.
-But don't throw me around.
-Don't worry.
-Come on, all of you.
-Excuse me, Yeseung.
Everyone, come join us.
Everyone has to pitch in.
Let's do this!
(all exclaiming)
PLAYERS: One, two, three!
(all yell)
PLAYERS: One, two, three!
(all yell)
PLAYERS: One, two, three!
(all yell)
DAEHO: Thank you, guys.
(all clapping)
(indistinct chatter)
We will now begin the farewell tour
of Lotte Giants' Lee Daeho.
GWANGJU-KIA CHAMPIONS FIELD
LEE DAEHO FAREWELL TOUR
It was really his last...
I knew that it was his last year.
But I didn't really think that
the final day would come so quickly.
After the all-star game,
whenever the Lotte Giants
played an away game,
we did a farewell tour.
DONGHUI: "Today was the last day I could
play baseball with Daeho in Gwangju."
That's what I had in mind.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Please feel free to speak
if you have anything to say.
I'd like to say something to Daeho.
-Please go ahead.
-It's irrelevant to the game though.
HYOUNGWOO: Throughout my baseball career,
I've never seen a person like Daeho.
I played baseball with him for 15 years.
And I want to say
that I've always respected him.
This is coming
from the bottom of my heart.
I usually don't say that I respect anyone,
and I don't really look up to anyone.
But he was the perfect hitter
and the perfect player.
You were amazing,
and great work until now.
CASTER: That was a message
to Lee Daeho from Choi Hyoungwoo.
D-40 GAMES
ENJOY YOUR COFFEE AND COME REST
INCHEON SSG LANDERS FIELD
LEE DAEHO FAREWELL TOUR
LEE DAEHO, CHOO SHINSOO
SHINSOO: In the press, they always write,
"The star players of 1982,
the Year of the Dog."
It's a bummer.
(hums)
Despite Daeho having the skills
to keep playing baseball,
he's still retiring.
That's what broke my heart even more.
(Daeho hums)
DAEHO: Choo Shinsoo is the friend
who helped me get here.
When Shinsoo was in elementary school,
he asked me to play baseball with him,
and I'm thankful for that.
I was able to dream
of becoming a baseball player
thanks to Shinsoo.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Please look here this way.
(camera shutters clicking)
Here we go.
This is my favorite photo.
(laughter)
This is when we started baseball together.
SHINSOO: It's where
we took our first steps.
This is a picture
we took in the Major League.
We shared our humble beginnings,
and it's meaningful
that we met at the highest point
of professional baseball.
Thanks, Shinsoo.
-I hope you recover.
-Thanks. Good luck.
Too bad we can't be together
on the last day.
I know, right?
CASTER 1: There are fans
who weaved letters on the uniform
to send out a message.
There are fans who even brought
the uniforms of his previous teams.
And on his shin guard, it says
that he won't forget the fans' love.
-We saw this at the all-star game too.
-CASTER 2: We did.
CASTER 1: Lee Daeho who continues
to fight for the Lotte Giants.
-It's two balls.
-(clacks)
The third ball makes contact!
-To the left!
-CASTER 2: It's a goner!
CASTER 1: The ball lands over the wall!
He manages to send another ball
out of the field!
The word "superstar"
refers to players like him!
The Giants are still a team that rely
on Lee Daeho to score runs
and turn the game around!
HOME! RUN!
LEE DAEHO!
CASTER 2: Lee Daeho is still Lee Daeho.
SEVENTH PLACE: LOTTE
SIXTH PLACE: LOTTE
(footsteps)
It's a handwritten letter.
KANG MINHO PLAYED NINE SEASONS
WITH LEE DAEHO AT LOTTE GIANTS
CASTER: The pride
of the Giants, it's Kang Minho.
Do you have anything to say to Lee Daeho?
(deep inhale)
Daeho...
(emotional exhale)
(chuckles)
(pensive hum)
When I was young...
(sniffles, exhales)
...I learned a lot from him.
When things were tough...
Daeho!
Weather condition's looking good.
MINHO: It's a handwritten letter.
(laughter, sniffling, whimpering)
Great job, Minho.
I saw him cry.
-I did.
-STAFF: Did you?
Gosh, why does he keep crying?
It's because of his age...
He's practically the oldest on the team.
I began to cry when I turned 40 too.
MINHO: This is our last.
-Nothing got canceled, this is it.
-MINHO: Exactly. And...
(bat clacks)
It feels so weird to think
I won't be seeing you on the field.
-I know, right?
-Is this it, then?
I'll come and hang out
in my casual clothes.
Or when you are in training in the summer,
I'll call you from abroad.
I'll be like, "Minho!
I'm in the Maldives!"
(laughter)
KANG MINHO SIGNS A FOUR-YEAR CONTRACT
WITH SAMSUNG
WHAT MADE KANG MINHO CHANGE TEAMS?
DAEHO: To be honest,
Minho called me the day
before he signed with Samsung, crying.
He said, "I think I have to leave, Daeho."
It shocked me more than when Ahseop left.
(sighs)
I asked him multiple times.
"Why? What's the problem?
Can you think it over?"
But he had his mind made up.
I don't know what the issue was.
(deep inhale)
But seriously...
It broke my heart.
-Do we have two games left?
-Two games.
We don't have
the Busan game, so this is it.
Do you remember back in Daegu?
We played a double-header,
and I went zero for eight.
-And I asked you to buy me a drink.
-Right, we went to Cheongsapo.
I followed him to Cheongsapo,
and I drank eight bottles of soju
before the food came out.
When problems come up,
you have to drown them in soju.
ANNOUNCER: Let's call Lee Daeho
to the center of the field!
DAEGU SAMSUNG LIONS PARK
LEE DAEHO FAREWELL TOUR
-ANNOUNCER: Daeho!
-CROWD: Daeho!
-ANNOUNCER: Daeho!
-CROWD: Daeho!
ANNOUNCER: Daeho!
(crowd singing)
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho... ♪
(grand celebratory music)
ANNOUNCER: There's a gift
prepared by Samsung Lions.
It's a figurine of Lee Daeho
when he played his very first game
as a catcher on May 8th, 2021,
since his debut in 2001
in a game against Samsung.
To remember that special day,
we have prepared a figurine
recreating that moment.
CASTER 1: We all know
what the alphabet C means.
The catcher for the team is Lee Daeho!
CASTER 2: We were very curious too.
Lotte doesn't have
a catcher in their lineup.
CASTER 1: So Lee Daeho
shows up as a catcher.
This game became interesting.
The hitter is Kang Minho.
When I was waiting on deck, I thought,
"I've played baseball for too long.
I can't believe I'm experiencing this.
I never thought
I'd face Daeho as a catcher."
As I was entering the box,
he was like, "Gosh, I'm nervous."
I said, "I guess I've played baseball
for a long time.
I never thought
I'd experience something like this."
Thank you.
Kang Minho, who is with Samsung,
is one of my dearest friends.
DAEHO: Please cheer him on.
Please give him lots of love
so he can perform better.
I saw the video of Seunghwan earlier,
and it seemed like he was quite depressed.
Seunghwan, I wish you good luck.
(crowd clapping)
Anyway, thank you, everyone.
D-20 GAMES
At the time of this interview,
we have about 19 games left.
Daeho's performance this year
is unbelievable.
I wonder how someone can perform so well
until his final moment.
(sniffles)
And I also think he shouldn't retire.
And my biggest thought is that
it's such a big shame he has to leave.
I want to do better.
If we try our best until the end,
I'm sure Daeho
will also cheer for us until the end.
(in English)
The game is not going to stop
for anybody, for any team
due to injuries or what have you.
SUTTON: The games...
The season continues on.
So we need to continue
to find a way how we can compete.
Whether it's with healthy players,
a full, healthy squad,
or some injured players,
we need to find a way to continue
to compete and fight as a team.
That's the best advice
that you can give any player.
JOSEON'S NUMBER-FOUR HITTER
THE PRIDE OF THE GIANTS
CASTER 1 (in Korean):
The top of the ninth.
This is the final offense for Lotte
in the regular season.
CASTER 2: They are only one run behind.
JOSEON'S NUMBER-FOUR HITTER
WE WILL REMEMBER YOU
CASTER 1: With Reks getting a walk,
the bases are loaded with one out.
Next up in the box...
is Lee Daeho.
He went zero for three today.
Although he has
an RBI from a sacrifice fly.
-CASTER 2: A crucial moment.
-CASTER 1: That's right.
Lee Daeho against the first pitch.
(mitt thuds)
An outside pitch.
He wasn't able to get a strike
against Lee Daeho with the bases full.
CASTER 2: That's right.
(crowd roaring)
CASTER 1: One ball, no strike.
DAEHO: I've always said to myself,
"I can hit it. I will hit it."
I always say the magic words
that I'll become a hero with a hit.
DON'T RETIRE, DAEHO!
CASTER 1: The fourth pitch is coming up.
Bases loaded with one out.
(clacks)
He pulls in and hits it!
It flies behind the left fielder
and goes over the wall!
It goes over the left wall!
Lee Daeho's...
TOP OF THE NINTH
LOTTE 5 : 5 HANWHA
...grand slam homer turns the game around!
His 21st home run of the season!
Lee Daeho is still the number-four hitter
of the Lotte Giants!
CASTER 2: He had not
recorded any hits today.
But at a crucial moment,
you can see his ability
to play a decisive role.
CASTER 1: As I said earlier,
many Lotte fans came today
to Hanwha Life Eagles Park.
This is such a big gift to them.
D-10 GAMES
COACH: This is killing me.
I almost died out there.
DONGHUI: I was talking to my trainer,
and both of us were saying
that Daeho is going to hit a homer today.
And he really did.
It felt different.
(indistinct chatter)
DONGHUI: I was amazed
at how a single player
could influence the whole team.
-REPORTER: You have ten games left.
-Yes.
REPORTER: And with Kia losing today,
you are only three games behind them.
I think that's also what makes
this homer more meaningful.
I haven't given up.
I keep saying this,
but I haven't given up.
It's a professional athlete's duty
to try their best until the end.
I've also told my juniors they should
try their best in every moment.
And it's important that
I leave with flying colors.
So the remaining ten games
will be very precious to me.
(crowd cheering and shouting)
(crowd singing)
♪ Where are you now? ♪
♪ Lotte, the strongest! ♪
♪ At the pier ♪
♪ Where the waves are crashing ♪
♪ The past memories linger in my heart ♪
Everybody!
♪ Busan seagull ♪
♪ Busan seagull... ♪
-I didn't see the bat flip.
-You didn't?
I was looking at the ball instead.
After he hit the home run,
the fans started shouting his name.
And he came out and raised his arms up.
It was so cool.
It was like a movie.
-(exclaims)
-(sucks teeth)
That was only possible
because it was Daeho.
If another player had done it,
someone would've thrown a beanball.
I really hope we can advance
to the postseason like this.
STAFF: Three games apart.
NC and Kia are on a losing streak,
while we're on a winning streak.
But NC has been doing well recently.
If we advance to the postseason,
it'll really feel like a movie.
We make it to the postseason,
then advance to Korean Series,
and Daeho gets the MVP of the Series.
Can the other teams
cooperate with us on this?
(crowd cheering and clapping)
D-9 GAMES
D-8 GAMES
D-7 GAMES
D-6 GAMES
D-5 GAMES
D-4 GAMES
D-3 GAMES
ON OCTOBER 3, 2022, IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT
LOTTE GIANTS DIDN'T MAKE THE POSTSEASON
Coincidentally, today's the day
we failed to make the top five.
Goodness.
I'm lost for words.
Honestly, it felt surreal.
But with three games remaining...
(lips smack)
...it's hitting me.
I just thought he'd be with us forever.
When he first said he was going
to retire, I couldn't grasp the idea.
HOON: As long as I was in the game,
I thought Daeho would be too.
If we had performed better,
it would've been better...
for Daeho as well.
I'm happy that Daeho performed well.
But until the end,
it felt like we were relying
on Daeho to lead us to victory.
We should've been more proactive
and encouraged one another
to support Daeho and perform better.
I feel bad that we couldn't
support him well enough.
I'm filming this interview
with three games remaining in the season.
I did the interview as late as possible
so I didn't have to send you off.
Not just the technical aspects,
but I wanted to learn everything
from you, Daeho.
I believe I was able
to play baseball until now
because I tried to follow
in your footsteps at least a little bit.
Congratulations on your retirement.
I love you, Daeho.
-SEOHYUN: Hello.
-DAEHO: What's your name?
SEOHYUN: Bae Seohyun.
Ten years ago, I fell ill
and was hospitalized.
But thanks to your donation,
I was able to get treated and recover
through the Korean Association
for Children with Leukemia and Cancer.
Really? Congratulations.
I was in so much pain.
So in 2017, I was on painkillers.
I even thought,
"I might die today or tomorrow."
But I heard you were coming to play,
so I thought that I should at least
watch your game before I die.
But watching the game made me
so happy, so I kept coming.
And then, all of a sudden, I recovered.
-That's why...
-Are you all better now?
-Yes.
-That's a relief.
I came from Seoul to say thank you.
Really? Seohyun. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
SEOHYUN: He was signing the autograph,
and I met eyes with him when he looked up.
I couldn't help but cry.
So I got teary-eyed earlier.
I've been living in Seoul for a long time,
so most of my friends
were fans of Seoul or Incheon teams.
They always asked me,
"Why are you a Lotte fan?"
Then I'd answer, "Our team has Lee Daeho."
And my friend would say, "That's true."
I really feel a sense of pride
in being a Lotte fan.
And it's not superficial or meaningless.
For a long time, thank you so much
for being the source of our pride
and for touching the hearts
of so many fans, including mine.
Whatever path you choose to take,
whatever life you live,
I will cheer you on.
I often referred to Daeho as a guardian.
Because it felt like
he was always protecting us.
I was getting ready
to send my guardian away.
I wasn't even interested...
in SSG Landers winning.
HOON: After it had been decided
that we didn't make it to the postseason,
my heart was already on October 8.
GIANTS
JIEUN: To Lotte fans,
Lee Daeho is everything.
KIM JIEUN
LOTTE GIANTS FAN
Lee Daeho is our heart.
MOONSOO: And our heart
naturally brought us here.
I think he's our pride
that will never falter.
MINBIN: When everyone taunts us
saying that we never win,
we say, "We still have Lee Daeho."
I know it's not possible,
but I wish he was playing for Kia.
DONGSOO: He's our pride.
There are no other players in the KBO
for whom we can cheer
shouting out a single name.
They say, "No player
is greater than their team."
But for Lee Daeho,
I believe that statement isn't true.
LEE DAEHO
DAEHO: October 8, 2022.
On that day, so many people
devoted their time to me.
I realized what a truly happy person
I was on that day.
Not only the players
but even the fans brought my uniform
from all over the country,
and even from Japan.
Everyone cheered me on.
(clacks)
Why is he running there?
What the hell are you doing?
(yells)
(clacks)
(mutters and laughs)
It cracked at the last minute.
Gosh.
(indistinct chatter)
COACH: We'll go to lunges
and pullovers! Begin!
DAEHO: Although I'm retiring
without a win,
I hope all of you win.
I came back to Lotte to win.
But winning isn't easy.
Lotte shouldn't stay in the lower ranks.
For the fans, improve yourselves.
When the other teams see us,
I want them to feel terrified.
I hope all of you will try your best.
Please.
Thank you.
(clapping)
(crowd chanting)
D-DAY GAME
LEE DAEHO
It was the final game for Daeho.
And Daeho said
he wanted to play first base.
So one of us had to sit out.
CROWD (chanting): Daeho!
HOON: I didn't feel well that day.
It would've been great
to play with him and have fun.
But I wasn't in a condition to do so.
So I gave a lot of thought
to how I can contribute on that day.
It reminded me a lot of the past.
When I first joined Lotte,
Daeho was already a star.
I was more like a backup.
So I always used
to bring the things he needed.
So I went back to the basics.
Although I'm a veteran player now,
I brought Daeho his gloves.
I wanted him to feel those emotions.
DAEHO: Hoon is like my real brother.
I would give him anything if he asks.
I think Hoon and I tried our best
to avoid each other's eyes that day.
I hope he improves more
and things work out better for him.
I think I'll root for him even more.
(crowd clapping)
CROWD (chanting): Daeho! Daeho!
Daeho! Daeho!
Daeho! Daeho!
ANNOUNCER: Everyone, all together.
Spread open your rally towels!
Hit the music!
THE ETERNAL NUMBER 10 OF GIANTS
(singing)
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
(crowd cheering)
(crowd erupts)
DAEHO: I don't think
I can come to Sajik Stadium.
It'll make me cry.
I've been coming here for 20 years.
I've been commuting
to this stadium since I was 20.
I know every
nook and cranny of this place.
I'll cheer my juniors on,
but when I come here,
I'll feel like I need to wear my uniform
and swing my bat.
With the farewell tour,
I felt the love of my fans.
I also felt it was time to leave the game.
I thought October 8 would never come.
But it's such a shame
that it came so quickly.
I'm elated that I received so much love
before my retirement.
CROWD (chanting): Lotte, the strongest!
Lotte, the strongest!
On that day, I kept saying that
I wanted to hit a homer since practice.
CASTER 1: Han Donghui comes into the box
wearing Lee Daeho's uniform.
-The count is one ball.
-(clacks)
He makes contact high into the left field!
It's nearing the wall! And it goes over!
This home run makes the game even!
Lee Daeho.
And now, Han Donghui.
DAEHO: I was so happy.
I really wanted to win the last game.
I'm so thankful.
Han Donghui is a player
whose future we all look forward to.
I hope he becomes a player
the fans can trust.
DONGHUI: During warm-up, Daeho kept
saying that it was his last catch ball.
During practice,
Daeho said that it was his last practice.
Early into the game,
I didn't think much of it.
But when he took the mound as a pitcher,
and as we started getting outs,
that's when I started
thinking deeply about this.
(crowd cheering)
CASTER 1: Let's turn
the clock back to 2001.
Lotte Giants draft
Pitcher Lee Daeho of Kyungnam High School.
The rookie pitcher finally
gets his debut match after 17 years.
The hitter who scored many runs
for the Giants
is now attempting to maintain their lead.
2024 LOTTE GIANTS DRAFT
PITCHER LEE DAEHO
Pitcher Lee Daeho.
Will he be able to maintain the lead?
Pitcher. Go Woosuk.
-The first pitch is a strike.
-(caster chuckles)
A smooth fastball goes into the zone.
I wonder if Go Woosuk
will give him a thumbs up.
We can't turn back the clock,
but I wonder what kind of career
he would've had as a pitcher.
CASTER 2: Thankfully, we can get
a brief taste of it together.
The count is one and two.
It's a chopper!
It goes back to the pitcher!
Lee Daeho maintains the lead
for the Giants!
A smooth defense by Lee Daeho.
(crowd chanting)
(crowd clapping)
TOP OF THE NINTH, TWO OUTS
LG 2 : 3 LOTTE
CASTER 1: He hits
a ground ball at a full count.
He fields it within fair territory.
He throws it!
CASTER 2: And he's out on first!
It's an out!
The last out, and the last strike.
We're getting closer to the end
of Lee Daeho's final game.
Lee Daeho gives a memorable gift
before he leaves.
Rejuvenation for some, youth for others.
And a final parting for another.
This moment will last as a memory now.
The legend of the Giants. He finally puts
an end to his baseball career.
Thank you so much.
This is the final moment
of this generation's dream.
ANNOUNCER: Please read the farewell letter
you have written.
Let's give him a big round of applause!
First of all, I'd like to express
my gratitude to everyone here.
BIG BOY
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING
Today is my father's death anniversary.
He passed away when I was three.
It's meaningful to me
to retire on this very day.
DAEHO: I'm very sad right now.
I don't think
there's a scenery more beautiful
than watching the crowd
in Sajik Baseball Stadium from the dugout.
Not a voice in this world
is more encouraging and comforting
than the voices
of Busan fans cheering me on
while I'm standing in the box.
(sniffles)
That's why no one in this world
was happier than I was
for the past 20 years,
as I listened to the fans' cheers
and watched the crowd
from the dugout every single day.
Despite your cheering
and faith in me for the past 20 years,
I wasn't able to achieve
what I dreamed of,
and what our fans earnestly wished for,
which was victory for the Lotte Giants.
But if Lotte Giants players
were given the chance
and gain more experience,
there are many players here
who will outperform me.
Captain Jun Junwoo, who'll be the last one
of my life, is with me today as well.
Jung Hoon, who will be listening
to this letter in tears.
I thank you and all my fellow players
and colleagues for everything.
Lastly, I'd like to thank my dear kids,
Yeseo and Yeseung,
for always smiling and rooting for me,
despite me being a lousy dad
who couldn't take them to the beach
even during summer vacation.
I'd like to also thank my wife, Hyejung,
who raised our kids all by herself
and sacrificed so much
for a husband who couldn't even
be with her half of the time.
My late grandmother, whom I truly love.
You've always worried for me,
but here I am, as a baseball player,
standing in front of a large crowd,
with all of them giving their love
and applause for me.
(sniffles)
I miss you the most today.
Lee Daeho of Lotte, who all of you named
Joseon's Number-Four Hitter.
Now, I will leave the batter's box
and enter the bleachers.
To all the Lotte staff and fans
who arranged this farewell ceremony,
thank you so much.
Thank you.
-Read what I wrote.
-I will.
DAEHO: It's time to play baseball for you.
All right. Good luck.
Gosh, my captain.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Good luck.
Chihong!
We finally became friends.
I should've looked after you more.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Good luck.
Congratulations, sir.
Don't hug him.
(chuckles)
Don't.
You crybaby.
(whimpers)
Don't cry.
COACH: Get me a towel.
Wipe this guy's face.
Don't cry, Hoon.
Don't cry.
COACH: Let him go.
Good work.
LEE DAEHO
DAEHO: The meet-and-greet,
interviews, and everything else.
They all just flew by.
During my retirement ceremony,
I couldn't help but cry.
The letter that I wrote
was extremely sad too.
That day was like a dream.
CROWD (chanting): Daeho! Daeho!
(singing)
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
ANNOUNCER: Please look towards the players
and send them your last goodbyes.
Everybody, with a loud voice...
I think I'll miss everything.
I'll miss my juniors.
I'll miss the stadium.
I'll also miss the voices
of fans cheering me on.
I think I'll miss
the fans' cheering the most.
The cheering that they do
while singing my name.
CROWD (chanting): Daeho!
Daeho! Daeho! Daeho!
(singing)
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Lotte Lee Daeho... ♪
♪ For Lotte's victory ♪
♪ Let's march ahead ♪
♪ There may be challenges and suffering ♪
♪ We will not change ♪
♪ In this very place ♪
♪ We will shout victory! ♪
♪ Who are we? ♪
♪ Lotte, the strongest! ♪
♪ Who will win? ♪
♪ Lotte, the strongest! ♪
♪ Lotte will come out victorious ♪
LEE DAEHO WHO JOINED LOTTE
IN THE 2001 ROOKIE DRAFT
RETIRED ON OCTOBER 8, 2022
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF GAMES HE PLAYED
IN KOREA, JAPAN, AND THE US IS 2,645 GAMES
I love baseball.
Baseball is my favorite sport.
(chuckles)
I still love it.
There's nothing I love more.
YONGTAIK: For a number of years,
because we hadn't made it
to the Korean Series or the postseason,
the chairman said that if we won,
he'd open the bottle of awamori shochu.
That's what I heard.
And we haven't made
any progress ever since.
CASTER: It's like LG Twins
is on fire these days.
YONGTAIK: Don't you all think so?
That we can win this season.
A really strong message.
There must be changes.
After this,
I'll be commentating on Game 5.
JIHWAN: The only thing
we can show our fans is winning games.
There are more important things
than awamori shochu.
NEXT EPISODE
OPEN THE AWAMORI SHOCHU
(bat clacks)
REPORTER: Lee Daeho of the Lotte Giants,
who was known
as Joseon's Number-Four Hitter,
is retiring from the field.
CASTER: Lee Daeho's hit!
It goes over the wall!
The number-four hitter of the Giants!
DAEHO: My goal was to play
for the first team
when I switched over to a hitter.
(clacks)
My dream is to become
an irreplaceable hitter at Lotte.
PLAYER 1: Daeho
is the greatest baseball star to me.
REPORTER: Lee Daeho,
who plays for the Lotte Giants,
set a world record today, hitting
home runs in nine consecutive games.
PLAYER 2: I worshipped him
when I was young.
He was my favorite player.
CASTER: Behind the left fielder!
It goes over!
Lee Daeho!
PLAYER 3: He's someone I can't evaluate.
PLAYER 4: When it comes
to batting, he's a genius.
BUSAN
SAJIK BASEBALL STADIUM
ANNOUNCER: We will now begin
Lee Daeho's retirement ceremony
with a big round of applause
from all the fans!
(crowd applauding and cheering)
SUTTON (exhales in English):
What does retirement mean?
It's almost like a big, deep breath.
I've given everything that I can
and there's just like this sigh of...
"Okay. Now I can
and try to start living a normal life.
What does life look like for me
after baseball?"
So it's kind of a mixed bag of emotions.
When I came to Korea, I was determined
to make the Lotte Giants champions.
It's been six years already.
I will give everything I have
and train the best I can
so that our team can win.
EP. 04
THE FALL OF GIANTS
What does winning mean?
My life goal.
I've never won before.
I'm not sure.
I'm curious.
Did KT Wiz win last year?
This is the very goal
we are playing 144 games for.
It's been a long time
since the Lotte Giants won.
I think all we need is for us to do well.
LOTTE GIANTS SANGDONG BASEBALL STADIUM
SPRING CAMP
-COACH: Nice. That's two outs.
-PLAYER: Okay!
DAEHO: Why aren't you answering?
Hey, have you taken a vow of silence?
No, sir!
-What?
-PLAYER: No, sir!
-COACH: Okay.
-Hey, the three of you.
-PLAYER: Yes?
-Keep it up for the next ten minutes.
-We got this!
-Yes!
(players yelling)
-(bat clacks)
-(player yelling)
-COACH: Nice!
-PLAYER: Yeah! Okay!
Who just said "nice"?
(indistinct chatter)
Are we ready?
Hello, everyone.
I'm Lee Daeho,
the Lotte Giants' number-four hitter.
Nice to meet you.
DAEHO: The season of 2022
was the last one before my retirement.
I usually work out for a month
before spring training.
But since it was my last season,
I wanted to do better.
So I trained for three to four months.
(clacks)
(exclaiming)
To be honest, I didn't expect it.
Players usually dislike
being the batting practice pitcher.
JUNWOO: But watching him volunteer for it,
I thought he was trying to give
a message to all the players.
I'll throw a fastball.
(clacks)
(Daeho hums pensively)
It was the last spring camp
with my juniors.
DAEHO: Even if I wanted
to teach them more things,
I won't be able to see them next year.
PLAYER (grunts): Thank you.
(clacks)
(yells)
In the front!
(grunts)
Donghui, you'll have trouble
if you get impatient.
Han Donghui has the largest build
on the team.
And he kind of resembles me
when I was younger.
He's a slugger,
so many refer to him as my successor.
I think it's an honor
rather than a burden.
I've been following the Lotte Giants
since I was young.
DONGHUI: During the draft,
I wanted to go to Lotte.
And that year,
Lee Daeho came back to Korea.
The thought of playing baseball with him
made me happy.
(clacks)
I think his reflexes and physique
are similar to Lee Daeho's.
He is flexible and a great hitter.
-Donghui, let's go!
-DONGHUI: Yes, sir.
(singing)
♪ I love you ♪
DAEHO: Even before I came to Korea,
I hoped that Han Donghui
would surpass me quickly.
Let's go have a meal in Seomyeon
with some of our players next week.
Up to six people can enter.
Let's get two tables.
(Daeho sings)
DONGHUI: This was the final season
we were playing together.
So naturally,
I followed him around to learn
as much from him as possible.
(clacks)
(all yelling)
PLAYER 1: It's okay! Good job!
PLAYER 2: It's not okay!
LG TWINS AND KT WIZ
ARE PERFECTING THEIR LINEUP
WHAT ABOUT THE LOTTE GIANTS?
LEE DAEHO'S THOUGHTS ON 2022 RETIREMENT
QUESTIONABLE FUTURE FOR LOTTE,
FIGHT FOR LAST PLACE WITH HANWHA?
CASTER 1: It seems like this season
will be tough for the Lotte Giants.
CASTER 2: That's right.
Their lineup isn't strong enough
to overwhelm the other teams.
The day before the article was released,
we were warned and got a heads-up.
But I still couldn't believe it.
REPORTER: Pro-baseball player Son Ahseop
is leaving Lotte,
a team he's been with for 15 years,
and joining the NC Dinos.
WONJUNG: After he signed
with his new team, I got a call.
He video-called me
wearing his NC Dinos jacket.
WONJUNG: I thought, "He's really leaving."
I had told him to stop lying.
But it wasn't a lie.
(heavy exhale)
Ahseop called me
the day before his signing.
He explained to me why he was leaving.
It was frustrating.
(disappointed chuckle)
It's obvious that Son Ahseop
leaving our team
would play as a negative factor.
HOST 1: Which team
do you think you have to beat
in order for you to win the season?
HOST 2: Your rival team.
Go ahead, Son Ahseop.
I think I have to beat the Lotte Giants
for the NC Dinos' fans
who live in Gyeongnam to be happy.
I think we can win the season
if we beat Lotte.
In order to beat the NC Dinos,
we will beat Ahseop.
In the end, professional sports is
about joining a team that really needs me.
It is my duty
to devote myself and use my abilities
for this team.
CASTER 1: He was one
of the star players of the Lotte Giants.
But they let him go.
But do they have a player as good as him?
If a player
who can replace Son Ahseop emerges,
Lotte Giants fans
would forget about Son Ahseop.
But if not, this will be revisited
over and over again.
It is quite worrisome.
CASTER 2: The opening game
of Lotte and Kiwoom of the 2022 Season.
People are free to make predictions
since the season hasn't started,
but the players don't agree
with that prediction.
We trained our best.
I believe the results can change.
CASTER 2: Lee Daeho hasn't won
the Korean Series before.
To be exact, he's never played
in the Korean Series.
DAEHO: I was born in Busan.
So I naturally followed the Lotte Giants.
My first and foremost goal
was to join the Giants as a player.
So when I joined the team,
I sincerely hoped to win.
(clacks)
CASTER 2: It travels deep
along the shortstop.
The first game out
of the 144-game journey.
Lee Daeho begins with a hit.
D-144 GAMES
First of all,
I think the facilities and the atmosphere
of NC Dinos are definitely better.
CASTER: The first game between
the NC Dinos and Lotte Giants this season.
The Son Ahseop Derby
will begin shortly in Changwon.
For 15 years, Son Ahseop
wore a Lotte uniform
and ate at the same table
with the opposing players.
DONGHUI: With Ahseop leaving
for another team,
I was happy to see him as a fielder.
So I thought,
"I'm going to kill him out there."
(crowd cheering and whistling)
(clacks)
CASTER: It pops up to the left.
The third baseman in foul territory.
Han Donghui calls the catch.
One out.
The seventh hitter, Han Donghui.
(clacks)
An outside pitch.
He throws the bat, and it's a fair ball!
He advances to second.
The game is over.
Lotte Giants beat NC Dinos
in a local derby match.
They take the first win.
DONGHUI: They say
that our lineup has gotten weaker,
but what Daeho said was
that you don't win or lose a baseball game
because you have a weaker lineup.
He also said
if we continue to try our best,
a win will surely follow.
CASTER: Han Donghui of the Lotte Giants,
who is known as Little Lee Daeho,
has won the MVP of the Month
for the first time.
Han Donghui's performance exploded.
When I saw him bat early this season,
I thought, "It's finally happening."
-(clacks)
-(crowd erupts)
CASTER 1: This ball
stretches out to the left!
And it goes over the wall!
CASTER 2: Little Lee Daeho and Lee Daeho.
It seems like the time is coming
for Daeho to pass down the crown.
I couldn't believe how well he performed.
I was shocked.
BA: 0.427, FIRST PLACE
HOME RUN: 7, FIRST PLACE
SLG: 0.764, FIRST PLACE
OBP: 0.485, FIRST PLACE
CASTER 3: It flies all the way
out of this stadium!
Han Donghui! He's attempting
to reign over the 2022 KBO League
as the best hitter!
Back then,
when I was in the box, I felt like
I could hit whatever they threw at me.
I thought I wanted to do better.
I didn't want to come down
from being one of the best hitters.
CASTER 1: I think he changed his style.
CASTER 2: Lee Daeho's batted ball
flies to the left!
It goes over the wall!
CASTER 1: Lee Daeho
continues to bat so well,
-looking back at the past two days.
-CASTER 2: Yes.
CASTER 1: It feels like
he's back in his 20s.
Maybe putting down the burden
and relaxing made you much better.
Do you feel that way?
Not really. I tried my best,
and thankfully it's working out.
The team spirit is strong too.
Also, with Han Donghui performing so well,
I didn't want to fall behind him too much.
That's why I'm trying my best
to catch up to him.
HOON: At the time, when he said
he was going to retire that year...
(Hoon sucks teeth)
...I thought he was going
to change his mind.
I wanted him to retire in Korea
and join another league.
I knew he'd do great.
CASTER 1: The final out.
After 2,124 days,
Lotte Giants completed a sweep
against Samsung Lions.
CASTER 2: After 3,598 days,
the Lotte Giants completes a sweep!
JUNYONG: Including the starting
and relief pitchers,
we had a great lineup
of pitchers and hitters.
I pitched so well
at the beginning of the season.
REPORTER: For the first time
in the history of Lotte,
Lotte pitched three strikeouts
with nine pitches in the fifth.
If our performance continued,
I thought we might make it
to the Korean Series.
(in English) An immaculate inning
is when you throw nine pitches,
nine strikes, and three strikeouts.
He did it last night.
-(applauding)
-(translator speaks in Korean)
JUNWOO: Is Park Sewoong coming down?
-SEWOONG: I'm here, sir.
-JUNWOO: When did you get here?
-Just now.
-I was going to applaud from above.
I'm serious.
My teammates prepared
so well early in the season.
I think we all thought,
"Let's make something
big happen this year."
It's the last season for Daeho,
so we all wanted
to give him a goodbye gift.
Sewoong, come out here.
Let's give him a round of applause.
Everyone!
(clapping)
We're all doing so well.
The pitchers...
(inhales)
It's unbelievable how well you throw.
I just can't believe it.
-Sewoong. It's unbelievable.
-SEWOONG: Yes?
They went to check out NC Dinos today,
so it's time for us to crush them.
Don't mind anything else.
-Just care about us. Okay?
-We can crush them.
-PLAYERS: Yes, sir.
-DAEHO: Let's go for first.
It was my final season before retirement.
My teammates were focused,
and I felt that luck was on our side.
But baseball is certainly a tricky sport.
SEOUL
JAMSIL BASEBALL STADIUM
STAFF 1: "Number one,
left fielder Hwang Seongbin.
Number two, first baseman An Chihong.
Number three, designated hitter Lee Daeho.
Number four, third baseman Han Donghui."
REPORTER: Is Jeon Junwoo off today?
(in English) Yes. He's off today. He had
muscle spasms yesterday during the game.
He tried to play through it.
He played the rest of the game with it.
STAFF 2 (in Korean): Gosh.
(keyboards clacking)
STAFF 3: I'm sorry
for interrupting the interview,
but we need to change the lineup.
STAFF 4: There's an emergency.
Darn. This is driving me nuts.
(indistinct chatter)
-Can he really play?
-STAFF 5: Why'd he get hurt?
How did Han Donghui get injured?
SUTTON (in English):
Donghui has inflammation in his obliques.
There's no understanding of time period.
It could be three days,
or it could be up to two weeks.
Right now, we're going
to prepare for the worst
and we're going to hope for the best.
DONGHUI (in Korean):
I felt a pain in my side.
But I still played the game with bandages.
But on the day of my injury,
when I took a swing during practice,
something felt off.
CASTER 1: Han Donghui and Jeon Junwoo.
They are out of service today.
Both of them are out due to injuries.
JUNWOO: The moment I came home,
I almost ran into the pitcher.
So I had to stop all of a sudden,
and my calf muscle got stiff.
I was alarmed,
but I didn't think it was anything big.
LOTTE GIANTS SANGDONG BASEBALL STADIUM
LOTTE GIANTS SECOND TEAM
(indistinct chatter)
CASTER 2: I think we have
to check Jung Hoon's legs.
CASTER 3: His muscles?
He may have pulled a hamstring.
In the game, we were in a situation
where we could not allow a double play.
HOON: So I ran to first base
as if my life depended on it.
During my last three steps or so,
I felt something pop.
JUNG HOON
CASTER 1: He hits it.
The right fielder moves for it.
-CASTER 2: Wow!
-CASTER 1: This is...
And it looks like he'll keep running.
(crowd yelling)
DAEHO: You dropped
the ball yourself and tossed it away.
-TEAMMATE 1: I didn't even realize that.
-DAEHO: You didn't, huh?
TEAMMATE 2: Because you tossed
it naturally, the ballboy just caught it.
CASTER 1: Due to Go Seungmin's error
after the double,
Lee Hyungjong scores a run.
DAEHO: Taeyang
should've asked for the ball.
Seungmin can misunderstand
that it's an out since he was running.
(crowd chanting and clapping)
(yells)
(indistinct chatter)
This is no one's fault.
We all performed poorly.
We were all lacking.
Think about catching the ball yourself.
Don't rely on others
to catch the ball for you.
You have to think about
making the play yourself.
DAEHO: What we can do as players are
to run tirelessly
and to try our best until the end.
Those are the very basics.
Stick to the basics.
-Do you understand?
-ALL: Yes.
(players clapping)
(drum beating)
(clacks)
CASTER 1: Another batted ball
becomes a hit.
They are switching the pitchers here.
(crowd yelling)
(casters scream in excitement)
CASTER 2: Another push hit!
Barnes is having trouble
controlling his pitches.
REPORTER: The Lotte Giants
take a nose dive.
Their momentum in the early season
has vanished. They are in eighth place.
There are many risks. It's uncertain
if they'll make a comeback.
SECOND PLACE: LOTTE
EIGHTH PLACE: LOTTE
Junwoo, Hoon, Donghui.
The three key players
were all out of the game at once.
It's true that our team spirit
was down with them gone.
And with that,
our performance went down too.
CASTER 1: His 11th pitch.
The count is two and two.
-CASTER 2: That's in the zone.
-CASTER 1: He gets struck out frozen!
The end of 11 pitches.
It was a looking strikeout.
When we're playing through a season,
injuries are inevitable.
(deep inhale)
But it was just too much.
Even when I entered the field,
something didn't feel right.
CASTER 1: You can see how desperate he is.
I thought, "How do we overcome this?"
The fact that I was thinking like that
means the fans and the team
must've had a tougher time.
Chihong and Daeho
were the only two key players playing.
They kept telling Junwoo, Hoon, and me
that they'll hold out as best as they can,
so we should recover quickly
and come back to the game.
CASTER 1: In a situation like earlier,
Lee Daeho hit a ground ball
against Kim Yunsu's first pitch
and stepped out.
(clacks)
Lee Daeho's batted ball
flies to center-left.
The center fielder tracks it!
He fails to make the catch!
It's a walk-off home run!
The final runner comes home!
No other words are needed.
Lee Daeho of Lotte finishes the game!
(crowd cheering)
DONGHUI: It was the final season for him,
so watching him give his best each game
really touched my heart.
CHANGWON NC PARK
NAKDONG RIVER DERBY
It hurts so much.
Staying healthy is most important.
-I'm playing as a designated hitter today.
-I see.
(indistinct chatter)
-Are you a DH today?
-Yes.
DH: A HITTER THAT DOESN'T PLAY
AS A FIELDER TO FOCUS ON OFFENSE
-That's good news.
-Euiji said he's off today.
Euiji?
Remember Sparkman threw
a headshot at him? So I think he's...
-He's traumatized?
-Yes.
WOMAN: Ahseop, a high-five, please!
HOST: Please welcome
these two players with a big hand.
MAN: Please write it big.
(pen squeaking)
FAN: Good luck, Son Ahseop.
DAEHO: Thank you.
This is an NC Dinos ball.
Why do people keep bringing NC balls?
Get it autographed by an NC player.
Go to Ahseop.
I'm sorry but I can't sign that.
(snickers)
How do you expect me
to autograph an NC uniform?
It's fine.
But it's not fine for me.
Get it from Ahseop.
Hold on. Here.
(chuckles)
DAEHO: This is awkward.
So very awkward.
DAEHO: How do you expect me
to autograph an NC uniform?
-FAN: It's fine.
-DAEHO: But it's not fine for me.
My heart felt heavy.
We used to sign autographs
wearing our Lotte uniforms.
DAEHO: But we gave out autographs
while wearing different uniforms.
(Daeho hums)
I think a part of me is always thinking,
"It'd be great
if we were on the same team."
SON AHSEOP
-I'll see you tomorrow.
-DAEHO: See you, Ahseop.
STAFF: Thank you.
(lips smack)
MAN 1: He was here
with Son Ahseop until now.
MAN 2: We're on our way out now.
SANGDONG, GIMHAE LOTTE GIANTS SECOND TEAM
HOON: We play passionately every year.
Early this year,
thanks to Daeho announcing his retirement,
we were more motivated
to show a better performance.
I blamed myself.
As a senior player on the team,
I couldn't contribute much
to the team this season.
And I was sorry to Daeho.
JUNWOO: In a way,
it's the player's job to recover.
So I want to return as soon as possible.
This is an accident.
(chuckles)
A big accident.
-(mitt thuds)
-(all yell)
DAESEUNG: When the injured players
were playing for the second team,
they didn't have any issues going 100%.
We didn't see any issues until now,
so if rehab goes well today,
they'll be able to return
to the first team.
Han Donghui is back.
(all clapping)
We have to try our best and win.
We shouldn't fall behind. Let's do well.
I'd like to apologize to all the pitchers.
Barnes is pitching so well,
but the fielders can sometimes...
be a bit lacking.
Making errors are inevitable.
But I wish all the fielders
could focus on the basics
and play the game.
(all clapping)
JUNWOO: Hello, Daeho.
-DAEHO: Hey, Junwoo.
-JUNWOO: Hello.
-DAEHO: You feeling okay?
-JUNWOO: Yes, sir.
(clonks)
JUNWOO: Gosh.
Hoon, you can chat a lot now.
-HOON: Yes, sir.
-JUNWOO: Yeah.
We only had each other
back on the second team.
(Junwoo chuckles)
DAEHO: How did you think
I was without you guys?
Chihong sometimes talked to me.
No one even talked to me when I ate.
(laughter)
Not much going on, right?
-DAEHO: It was hard.
-It was...
DAEHO: Chihong and I are half-dead.
I see. Where's Chihong?
I love how you guys look so humble now.
(chuckles)
He became so humble.
And eat with Chihong
and Daeho when they're here.
-It breaks my heart.
-Yeah.
If you see them in the cafeteria,
don't avoid them.
I heard everything.
You guys will grow old too.
DAEHO: It's okay, I'll be gone soon.
(snickers)
That's why we should treat you better.
Treat him well, got it?
-Good work, everyone. Last week...
-Take it easy.
Could you please let me talk? Come on.
No one was talking to me down there,
so I really wanted to chat.
I was craving to chat.
Let me add to that.
Talk to these guys
when you go to the second team.
They didn't speak a word there.
He's talking so much
because we didn't talk much there.
When we enter the locker room,
they part like this.
No one spoke to us.
-We're back, so...
-DAEHO: You will all grow old too.
Let's train hard starting this week, okay?
-PLAYERS: Yes, sir!
-Let's go!
(clapping)
CASTER 1: Kia Tigers and Lotte Giants.
The most anticipated game of this week.
The difference
between fifth and sixth places
is six wins.
CASTER 2: From where Lotte is standing,
they don't want Kia to get more wins.
That's why Lotte has to win today's game.
(bat clacks)
CASTER 1: He hits the breaking ball.
A two-point RBI that brings
home the second baserunner as well.
Sparkman comes down from the mound.
Allowed five runs.
KIA 5 : 0 LOTTE
(mitt thuds)
CASTER 1: He goes for the steal.
He slides into second base,
and the ball bounces away.
(bat clacks)
CASTER 2: Another batted ball
flies deep into the right.
It bounces off the wall once again.
Both runners come running home.
A hard-hit ball to the right.
An Chihong misses the catch.
CASTER 1: The score is now nine to zero.
They are switching the pitcher
for the second time this inning.
CASTER 2: It seems difficult
to bring back the momentum.
CASTER 1: The ball travels deep
into the center
with the center fielder tracking it,
but he can't get the catch.
And it's gone! A two-run homer!
CASTER 2: Fifteen to zero.
CASTER 1: Sixteen to zero.
(crowd clapping)
Eighteen to zero.
First of all, it was utterly humiliating.
Losing a game is fine.
But losing like that is unacceptable.
(sniffles)
-(clacks)
-(crowd gasps)
CASTER 1: It flies high!
CASTER 2: This is Lotte playing
their seventh pitcher.
They played a pitcher they rarely play
when they are behind by this much.
CASTER 3: Choi Junyong,
the setup pitcher, takes the mound.
CASTER 1: I'm sure he has
some power saved up.
This ball goes over the wall!
JUNYONG: I took the mound thinking,
"They won't hit my pitches."
But they hit a homer against my pitch.
CASTER 1: The final score
is 23 to nothing.
This score is the largest difference
in runs in KBO history.
D-56 GAMES
JUNYONG: I was dumbfounded.
I saw the scoreboard, and it was 23 to 0.
I was so sorry to our fans.
As professional players,
we shouldn't have performed like that.
JUNYONG: Not a single player spoke
a word that day.
We were all silent.
We washed up without a word,
took care of our stuff, and went home.
INCOMPETENT PLAYERS SHOULDN'T FORCE
LOTTE FANS TO ROOT FOR THEM
OUR CHEERS ARE A LUXURY FOR PLAYERS
WHO AREN'T DESPERATE AND COMPETITIVE
UNDER LEE DAEHO'S FANCY LAST DANCE,
LOTTE TAKES A NOSE DIVE THIS YEAR
YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE
WITH LEE DAEHO AS HIS FINAL TEAM
YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE
WITH LEE DAEHO AS HIS FINAL TEAM
THE GENERAL MANAGER AND MANAGER
HAVE DISAPPOINTED THE FANS
REPORTER: The KBO decides
to host Lee Daeho's farewell tour.
He's the second player
to have such a tour in KBO history.
Those who contributed a lot
to the development of the KBO
get farewell tours.
It's amazing, and I'm jealous.
It's well-deserved.
A farewell tour is a must for him.
I thought it was amazing
that he was able to do the tour.
Though we're not on the same team,
the thought that we won't be
playing baseball together anymore...
I'm sad but I also think he's amazing.
It wasn't just the Lotte fans.
Baseball fans from all ten clubs
wanted him to change his mind
about retirement.
It was beautiful
how they all came together.
WITH THE BEGINNING OF ALL-STARS,
THE SECOND FAREWELL TOUR OF KBO,
LEE DAEHO'S FAREWELL TOUR WILL BEGIN
JAMSIL BASEBALL STADIUM
ALL-STAR GAME
-Hello.
-MAN: Hello.
DAEHO: Hey, guys.
-YONGTAIK: Hello.
-DAEHO: Yongtaik, hello.
Hello, sir.
Hello.
How are you?
I get all teary thinking
about the retirement ceremony.
I get so emotional.
I have no idea what to do.
The retirement ceremony?
I thought I wouldn't feel a thing,
but I couldn't sleep the night before.
Since I'm retiring this year...
about two years ago,
when I watched my seniors retire,
I get all teary.
I must be getting to that age.
Do you want a picture
with Mr. Choi Hyoungwoo?
-Here.
-Mr. Choi Hyoungwoo.
DAEHO: He'll be retiring soon.
He's next.
(sighs in English)
What does retirement mean?
-INTERVIEWER: To the baseball players.
-Oh, wow.
I think there's a lot of emotion.
Or I know that there's a lot of emotion.
You've given so much of yourself
to your professional career for so long.
You've given so much of yourself
and to the organizations.
When you know that
that's not going to be there anymore,
you're stepping away
from the game of baseball.
It's sad.
There's an emotional side to it where
you've done something for so long
and you've been successful at it.
LEE DAEHO
THANK YOU, WE LOVE YOU, FOREVER
MR. DAEHO
DON'T RETIRE
ANNOUNCER (in Korean): It's a shame
for all of us that he has to retire.
Joseon's Number-Four Hitter.
I introduce to you Lee Daeho!
Here he is.
Both teams!
Please give a big round of applause
to Lee Daeho and his family!
(crowd cheers and applauds)
ANNOUNCER: His wife, Shin Hyejung,
his daughter, Yeseo, and his son, Yeseung,
are coming over to Lee Daeho's side.
DAEHO: Don't cry.
Yes. Well, thank you so much.
-(camera shutters clicking)
-(deep inhale)
I thought my wife would cry more than me.
(snickers)
(crowd exclaiming)
(loud applause)
CROWD (chanting): Lee Daeho! Lee Daeho!
Lee Daeho! Lee Daeho!
CASTER 1: I wonder if there'll be
another player who'll retire like this.
CASTER 2: No.
No, probably not.
SUTTON (in English):
Being in the game for so long,
you've developed relationships with
your teammates, with your coaching staff.
And some of those relationships,
they're lifelong relationships,
friendships.
So the friendships
and those relationships,
you miss those the most
once you step away from the game.
-HYEONSU (in Korean): Don't. It's scary.
-DAEHO: Come on.
HYEONSU: It's all right.
DAEHO: Don't do that, man.
-Please.
-DAEHO: You might get injured.
-Everyone!
-It's okay.
(mouth clicking)
Daeho.
I won't get hurt.
-Let's throw him up in the air.
-Okay!
We need a lot of people
since Daeho is heavy.
-One more.
-DAEHO: I'm sorry.
-But don't throw me around.
-Don't worry.
-Come on, all of you.
-Excuse me, Yeseung.
Everyone, come join us.
Everyone has to pitch in.
Let's do this!
(all exclaiming)
PLAYERS: One, two, three!
(all yell)
PLAYERS: One, two, three!
(all yell)
PLAYERS: One, two, three!
(all yell)
DAEHO: Thank you, guys.
(all clapping)
(indistinct chatter)
We will now begin the farewell tour
of Lotte Giants' Lee Daeho.
GWANGJU-KIA CHAMPIONS FIELD
LEE DAEHO FAREWELL TOUR
It was really his last...
I knew that it was his last year.
But I didn't really think that
the final day would come so quickly.
After the all-star game,
whenever the Lotte Giants
played an away game,
we did a farewell tour.
DONGHUI: "Today was the last day I could
play baseball with Daeho in Gwangju."
That's what I had in mind.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Please feel free to speak
if you have anything to say.
I'd like to say something to Daeho.
-Please go ahead.
-It's irrelevant to the game though.
HYOUNGWOO: Throughout my baseball career,
I've never seen a person like Daeho.
I played baseball with him for 15 years.
And I want to say
that I've always respected him.
This is coming
from the bottom of my heart.
I usually don't say that I respect anyone,
and I don't really look up to anyone.
But he was the perfect hitter
and the perfect player.
You were amazing,
and great work until now.
CASTER: That was a message
to Lee Daeho from Choi Hyoungwoo.
D-40 GAMES
ENJOY YOUR COFFEE AND COME REST
INCHEON SSG LANDERS FIELD
LEE DAEHO FAREWELL TOUR
LEE DAEHO, CHOO SHINSOO
SHINSOO: In the press, they always write,
"The star players of 1982,
the Year of the Dog."
It's a bummer.
(hums)
Despite Daeho having the skills
to keep playing baseball,
he's still retiring.
That's what broke my heart even more.
(Daeho hums)
DAEHO: Choo Shinsoo is the friend
who helped me get here.
When Shinsoo was in elementary school,
he asked me to play baseball with him,
and I'm thankful for that.
I was able to dream
of becoming a baseball player
thanks to Shinsoo.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Please look here this way.
(camera shutters clicking)
Here we go.
This is my favorite photo.
(laughter)
This is when we started baseball together.
SHINSOO: It's where
we took our first steps.
This is a picture
we took in the Major League.
We shared our humble beginnings,
and it's meaningful
that we met at the highest point
of professional baseball.
Thanks, Shinsoo.
-I hope you recover.
-Thanks. Good luck.
Too bad we can't be together
on the last day.
I know, right?
CASTER 1: There are fans
who weaved letters on the uniform
to send out a message.
There are fans who even brought
the uniforms of his previous teams.
And on his shin guard, it says
that he won't forget the fans' love.
-We saw this at the all-star game too.
-CASTER 2: We did.
CASTER 1: Lee Daeho who continues
to fight for the Lotte Giants.
-It's two balls.
-(clacks)
The third ball makes contact!
-To the left!
-CASTER 2: It's a goner!
CASTER 1: The ball lands over the wall!
He manages to send another ball
out of the field!
The word "superstar"
refers to players like him!
The Giants are still a team that rely
on Lee Daeho to score runs
and turn the game around!
HOME! RUN!
LEE DAEHO!
CASTER 2: Lee Daeho is still Lee Daeho.
SEVENTH PLACE: LOTTE
SIXTH PLACE: LOTTE
(footsteps)
It's a handwritten letter.
KANG MINHO PLAYED NINE SEASONS
WITH LEE DAEHO AT LOTTE GIANTS
CASTER: The pride
of the Giants, it's Kang Minho.
Do you have anything to say to Lee Daeho?
(deep inhale)
Daeho...
(emotional exhale)
(chuckles)
(pensive hum)
When I was young...
(sniffles, exhales)
...I learned a lot from him.
When things were tough...
Daeho!
Weather condition's looking good.
MINHO: It's a handwritten letter.
(laughter, sniffling, whimpering)
Great job, Minho.
I saw him cry.
-I did.
-STAFF: Did you?
Gosh, why does he keep crying?
It's because of his age...
He's practically the oldest on the team.
I began to cry when I turned 40 too.
MINHO: This is our last.
-Nothing got canceled, this is it.
-MINHO: Exactly. And...
(bat clacks)
It feels so weird to think
I won't be seeing you on the field.
-I know, right?
-Is this it, then?
I'll come and hang out
in my casual clothes.
Or when you are in training in the summer,
I'll call you from abroad.
I'll be like, "Minho!
I'm in the Maldives!"
(laughter)
KANG MINHO SIGNS A FOUR-YEAR CONTRACT
WITH SAMSUNG
WHAT MADE KANG MINHO CHANGE TEAMS?
DAEHO: To be honest,
Minho called me the day
before he signed with Samsung, crying.
He said, "I think I have to leave, Daeho."
It shocked me more than when Ahseop left.
(sighs)
I asked him multiple times.
"Why? What's the problem?
Can you think it over?"
But he had his mind made up.
I don't know what the issue was.
(deep inhale)
But seriously...
It broke my heart.
-Do we have two games left?
-Two games.
We don't have
the Busan game, so this is it.
Do you remember back in Daegu?
We played a double-header,
and I went zero for eight.
-And I asked you to buy me a drink.
-Right, we went to Cheongsapo.
I followed him to Cheongsapo,
and I drank eight bottles of soju
before the food came out.
When problems come up,
you have to drown them in soju.
ANNOUNCER: Let's call Lee Daeho
to the center of the field!
DAEGU SAMSUNG LIONS PARK
LEE DAEHO FAREWELL TOUR
-ANNOUNCER: Daeho!
-CROWD: Daeho!
-ANNOUNCER: Daeho!
-CROWD: Daeho!
ANNOUNCER: Daeho!
(crowd singing)
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho... ♪
(grand celebratory music)
ANNOUNCER: There's a gift
prepared by Samsung Lions.
It's a figurine of Lee Daeho
when he played his very first game
as a catcher on May 8th, 2021,
since his debut in 2001
in a game against Samsung.
To remember that special day,
we have prepared a figurine
recreating that moment.
CASTER 1: We all know
what the alphabet C means.
The catcher for the team is Lee Daeho!
CASTER 2: We were very curious too.
Lotte doesn't have
a catcher in their lineup.
CASTER 1: So Lee Daeho
shows up as a catcher.
This game became interesting.
The hitter is Kang Minho.
When I was waiting on deck, I thought,
"I've played baseball for too long.
I can't believe I'm experiencing this.
I never thought
I'd face Daeho as a catcher."
As I was entering the box,
he was like, "Gosh, I'm nervous."
I said, "I guess I've played baseball
for a long time.
I never thought
I'd experience something like this."
Thank you.
Kang Minho, who is with Samsung,
is one of my dearest friends.
DAEHO: Please cheer him on.
Please give him lots of love
so he can perform better.
I saw the video of Seunghwan earlier,
and it seemed like he was quite depressed.
Seunghwan, I wish you good luck.
(crowd clapping)
Anyway, thank you, everyone.
D-20 GAMES
At the time of this interview,
we have about 19 games left.
Daeho's performance this year
is unbelievable.
I wonder how someone can perform so well
until his final moment.
(sniffles)
And I also think he shouldn't retire.
And my biggest thought is that
it's such a big shame he has to leave.
I want to do better.
If we try our best until the end,
I'm sure Daeho
will also cheer for us until the end.
(in English)
The game is not going to stop
for anybody, for any team
due to injuries or what have you.
SUTTON: The games...
The season continues on.
So we need to continue
to find a way how we can compete.
Whether it's with healthy players,
a full, healthy squad,
or some injured players,
we need to find a way to continue
to compete and fight as a team.
That's the best advice
that you can give any player.
JOSEON'S NUMBER-FOUR HITTER
THE PRIDE OF THE GIANTS
CASTER 1 (in Korean):
The top of the ninth.
This is the final offense for Lotte
in the regular season.
CASTER 2: They are only one run behind.
JOSEON'S NUMBER-FOUR HITTER
WE WILL REMEMBER YOU
CASTER 1: With Reks getting a walk,
the bases are loaded with one out.
Next up in the box...
is Lee Daeho.
He went zero for three today.
Although he has
an RBI from a sacrifice fly.
-CASTER 2: A crucial moment.
-CASTER 1: That's right.
Lee Daeho against the first pitch.
(mitt thuds)
An outside pitch.
He wasn't able to get a strike
against Lee Daeho with the bases full.
CASTER 2: That's right.
(crowd roaring)
CASTER 1: One ball, no strike.
DAEHO: I've always said to myself,
"I can hit it. I will hit it."
I always say the magic words
that I'll become a hero with a hit.
DON'T RETIRE, DAEHO!
CASTER 1: The fourth pitch is coming up.
Bases loaded with one out.
(clacks)
He pulls in and hits it!
It flies behind the left fielder
and goes over the wall!
It goes over the left wall!
Lee Daeho's...
TOP OF THE NINTH
LOTTE 5 : 5 HANWHA
...grand slam homer turns the game around!
His 21st home run of the season!
Lee Daeho is still the number-four hitter
of the Lotte Giants!
CASTER 2: He had not
recorded any hits today.
But at a crucial moment,
you can see his ability
to play a decisive role.
CASTER 1: As I said earlier,
many Lotte fans came today
to Hanwha Life Eagles Park.
This is such a big gift to them.
D-10 GAMES
COACH: This is killing me.
I almost died out there.
DONGHUI: I was talking to my trainer,
and both of us were saying
that Daeho is going to hit a homer today.
And he really did.
It felt different.
(indistinct chatter)
DONGHUI: I was amazed
at how a single player
could influence the whole team.
-REPORTER: You have ten games left.
-Yes.
REPORTER: And with Kia losing today,
you are only three games behind them.
I think that's also what makes
this homer more meaningful.
I haven't given up.
I keep saying this,
but I haven't given up.
It's a professional athlete's duty
to try their best until the end.
I've also told my juniors they should
try their best in every moment.
And it's important that
I leave with flying colors.
So the remaining ten games
will be very precious to me.
(crowd cheering and shouting)
(crowd singing)
♪ Where are you now? ♪
♪ Lotte, the strongest! ♪
♪ At the pier ♪
♪ Where the waves are crashing ♪
♪ The past memories linger in my heart ♪
Everybody!
♪ Busan seagull ♪
♪ Busan seagull... ♪
-I didn't see the bat flip.
-You didn't?
I was looking at the ball instead.
After he hit the home run,
the fans started shouting his name.
And he came out and raised his arms up.
It was so cool.
It was like a movie.
-(exclaims)
-(sucks teeth)
That was only possible
because it was Daeho.
If another player had done it,
someone would've thrown a beanball.
I really hope we can advance
to the postseason like this.
STAFF: Three games apart.
NC and Kia are on a losing streak,
while we're on a winning streak.
But NC has been doing well recently.
If we advance to the postseason,
it'll really feel like a movie.
We make it to the postseason,
then advance to Korean Series,
and Daeho gets the MVP of the Series.
Can the other teams
cooperate with us on this?
(crowd cheering and clapping)
D-9 GAMES
D-8 GAMES
D-7 GAMES
D-6 GAMES
D-5 GAMES
D-4 GAMES
D-3 GAMES
ON OCTOBER 3, 2022, IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT
LOTTE GIANTS DIDN'T MAKE THE POSTSEASON
Coincidentally, today's the day
we failed to make the top five.
Goodness.
I'm lost for words.
Honestly, it felt surreal.
But with three games remaining...
(lips smack)
...it's hitting me.
I just thought he'd be with us forever.
When he first said he was going
to retire, I couldn't grasp the idea.
HOON: As long as I was in the game,
I thought Daeho would be too.
If we had performed better,
it would've been better...
for Daeho as well.
I'm happy that Daeho performed well.
But until the end,
it felt like we were relying
on Daeho to lead us to victory.
We should've been more proactive
and encouraged one another
to support Daeho and perform better.
I feel bad that we couldn't
support him well enough.
I'm filming this interview
with three games remaining in the season.
I did the interview as late as possible
so I didn't have to send you off.
Not just the technical aspects,
but I wanted to learn everything
from you, Daeho.
I believe I was able
to play baseball until now
because I tried to follow
in your footsteps at least a little bit.
Congratulations on your retirement.
I love you, Daeho.
-SEOHYUN: Hello.
-DAEHO: What's your name?
SEOHYUN: Bae Seohyun.
Ten years ago, I fell ill
and was hospitalized.
But thanks to your donation,
I was able to get treated and recover
through the Korean Association
for Children with Leukemia and Cancer.
Really? Congratulations.
I was in so much pain.
So in 2017, I was on painkillers.
I even thought,
"I might die today or tomorrow."
But I heard you were coming to play,
so I thought that I should at least
watch your game before I die.
But watching the game made me
so happy, so I kept coming.
And then, all of a sudden, I recovered.
-That's why...
-Are you all better now?
-Yes.
-That's a relief.
I came from Seoul to say thank you.
Really? Seohyun. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
SEOHYUN: He was signing the autograph,
and I met eyes with him when he looked up.
I couldn't help but cry.
So I got teary-eyed earlier.
I've been living in Seoul for a long time,
so most of my friends
were fans of Seoul or Incheon teams.
They always asked me,
"Why are you a Lotte fan?"
Then I'd answer, "Our team has Lee Daeho."
And my friend would say, "That's true."
I really feel a sense of pride
in being a Lotte fan.
And it's not superficial or meaningless.
For a long time, thank you so much
for being the source of our pride
and for touching the hearts
of so many fans, including mine.
Whatever path you choose to take,
whatever life you live,
I will cheer you on.
I often referred to Daeho as a guardian.
Because it felt like
he was always protecting us.
I was getting ready
to send my guardian away.
I wasn't even interested...
in SSG Landers winning.
HOON: After it had been decided
that we didn't make it to the postseason,
my heart was already on October 8.
GIANTS
JIEUN: To Lotte fans,
Lee Daeho is everything.
KIM JIEUN
LOTTE GIANTS FAN
Lee Daeho is our heart.
MOONSOO: And our heart
naturally brought us here.
I think he's our pride
that will never falter.
MINBIN: When everyone taunts us
saying that we never win,
we say, "We still have Lee Daeho."
I know it's not possible,
but I wish he was playing for Kia.
DONGSOO: He's our pride.
There are no other players in the KBO
for whom we can cheer
shouting out a single name.
They say, "No player
is greater than their team."
But for Lee Daeho,
I believe that statement isn't true.
LEE DAEHO
DAEHO: October 8, 2022.
On that day, so many people
devoted their time to me.
I realized what a truly happy person
I was on that day.
Not only the players
but even the fans brought my uniform
from all over the country,
and even from Japan.
Everyone cheered me on.
(clacks)
Why is he running there?
What the hell are you doing?
(yells)
(clacks)
(mutters and laughs)
It cracked at the last minute.
Gosh.
(indistinct chatter)
COACH: We'll go to lunges
and pullovers! Begin!
DAEHO: Although I'm retiring
without a win,
I hope all of you win.
I came back to Lotte to win.
But winning isn't easy.
Lotte shouldn't stay in the lower ranks.
For the fans, improve yourselves.
When the other teams see us,
I want them to feel terrified.
I hope all of you will try your best.
Please.
Thank you.
(clapping)
(crowd chanting)
D-DAY GAME
LEE DAEHO
It was the final game for Daeho.
And Daeho said
he wanted to play first base.
So one of us had to sit out.
CROWD (chanting): Daeho!
HOON: I didn't feel well that day.
It would've been great
to play with him and have fun.
But I wasn't in a condition to do so.
So I gave a lot of thought
to how I can contribute on that day.
It reminded me a lot of the past.
When I first joined Lotte,
Daeho was already a star.
I was more like a backup.
So I always used
to bring the things he needed.
So I went back to the basics.
Although I'm a veteran player now,
I brought Daeho his gloves.
I wanted him to feel those emotions.
DAEHO: Hoon is like my real brother.
I would give him anything if he asks.
I think Hoon and I tried our best
to avoid each other's eyes that day.
I hope he improves more
and things work out better for him.
I think I'll root for him even more.
(crowd clapping)
CROWD (chanting): Daeho! Daeho!
Daeho! Daeho!
Daeho! Daeho!
ANNOUNCER: Everyone, all together.
Spread open your rally towels!
Hit the music!
THE ETERNAL NUMBER 10 OF GIANTS
(singing)
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
(crowd cheering)
(crowd erupts)
DAEHO: I don't think
I can come to Sajik Stadium.
It'll make me cry.
I've been coming here for 20 years.
I've been commuting
to this stadium since I was 20.
I know every
nook and cranny of this place.
I'll cheer my juniors on,
but when I come here,
I'll feel like I need to wear my uniform
and swing my bat.
With the farewell tour,
I felt the love of my fans.
I also felt it was time to leave the game.
I thought October 8 would never come.
But it's such a shame
that it came so quickly.
I'm elated that I received so much love
before my retirement.
CROWD (chanting): Lotte, the strongest!
Lotte, the strongest!
On that day, I kept saying that
I wanted to hit a homer since practice.
CASTER 1: Han Donghui comes into the box
wearing Lee Daeho's uniform.
-The count is one ball.
-(clacks)
He makes contact high into the left field!
It's nearing the wall! And it goes over!
This home run makes the game even!
Lee Daeho.
And now, Han Donghui.
DAEHO: I was so happy.
I really wanted to win the last game.
I'm so thankful.
Han Donghui is a player
whose future we all look forward to.
I hope he becomes a player
the fans can trust.
DONGHUI: During warm-up, Daeho kept
saying that it was his last catch ball.
During practice,
Daeho said that it was his last practice.
Early into the game,
I didn't think much of it.
But when he took the mound as a pitcher,
and as we started getting outs,
that's when I started
thinking deeply about this.
(crowd cheering)
CASTER 1: Let's turn
the clock back to 2001.
Lotte Giants draft
Pitcher Lee Daeho of Kyungnam High School.
The rookie pitcher finally
gets his debut match after 17 years.
The hitter who scored many runs
for the Giants
is now attempting to maintain their lead.
2024 LOTTE GIANTS DRAFT
PITCHER LEE DAEHO
Pitcher Lee Daeho.
Will he be able to maintain the lead?
Pitcher. Go Woosuk.
-The first pitch is a strike.
-(caster chuckles)
A smooth fastball goes into the zone.
I wonder if Go Woosuk
will give him a thumbs up.
We can't turn back the clock,
but I wonder what kind of career
he would've had as a pitcher.
CASTER 2: Thankfully, we can get
a brief taste of it together.
The count is one and two.
It's a chopper!
It goes back to the pitcher!
Lee Daeho maintains the lead
for the Giants!
A smooth defense by Lee Daeho.
(crowd chanting)
(crowd clapping)
TOP OF THE NINTH, TWO OUTS
LG 2 : 3 LOTTE
CASTER 1: He hits
a ground ball at a full count.
He fields it within fair territory.
He throws it!
CASTER 2: And he's out on first!
It's an out!
The last out, and the last strike.
We're getting closer to the end
of Lee Daeho's final game.
Lee Daeho gives a memorable gift
before he leaves.
Rejuvenation for some, youth for others.
And a final parting for another.
This moment will last as a memory now.
The legend of the Giants. He finally puts
an end to his baseball career.
Thank you so much.
This is the final moment
of this generation's dream.
ANNOUNCER: Please read the farewell letter
you have written.
Let's give him a big round of applause!
First of all, I'd like to express
my gratitude to everyone here.
BIG BOY
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING
Today is my father's death anniversary.
He passed away when I was three.
It's meaningful to me
to retire on this very day.
DAEHO: I'm very sad right now.
I don't think
there's a scenery more beautiful
than watching the crowd
in Sajik Baseball Stadium from the dugout.
Not a voice in this world
is more encouraging and comforting
than the voices
of Busan fans cheering me on
while I'm standing in the box.
(sniffles)
That's why no one in this world
was happier than I was
for the past 20 years,
as I listened to the fans' cheers
and watched the crowd
from the dugout every single day.
Despite your cheering
and faith in me for the past 20 years,
I wasn't able to achieve
what I dreamed of,
and what our fans earnestly wished for,
which was victory for the Lotte Giants.
But if Lotte Giants players
were given the chance
and gain more experience,
there are many players here
who will outperform me.
Captain Jun Junwoo, who'll be the last one
of my life, is with me today as well.
Jung Hoon, who will be listening
to this letter in tears.
I thank you and all my fellow players
and colleagues for everything.
Lastly, I'd like to thank my dear kids,
Yeseo and Yeseung,
for always smiling and rooting for me,
despite me being a lousy dad
who couldn't take them to the beach
even during summer vacation.
I'd like to also thank my wife, Hyejung,
who raised our kids all by herself
and sacrificed so much
for a husband who couldn't even
be with her half of the time.
My late grandmother, whom I truly love.
You've always worried for me,
but here I am, as a baseball player,
standing in front of a large crowd,
with all of them giving their love
and applause for me.
(sniffles)
I miss you the most today.
Lee Daeho of Lotte, who all of you named
Joseon's Number-Four Hitter.
Now, I will leave the batter's box
and enter the bleachers.
To all the Lotte staff and fans
who arranged this farewell ceremony,
thank you so much.
Thank you.
-Read what I wrote.
-I will.
DAEHO: It's time to play baseball for you.
All right. Good luck.
Gosh, my captain.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Good luck.
Chihong!
We finally became friends.
I should've looked after you more.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Good luck.
Congratulations, sir.
Don't hug him.
(chuckles)
Don't.
You crybaby.
(whimpers)
Don't cry.
COACH: Get me a towel.
Wipe this guy's face.
Don't cry, Hoon.
Don't cry.
COACH: Let him go.
Good work.
LEE DAEHO
DAEHO: The meet-and-greet,
interviews, and everything else.
They all just flew by.
During my retirement ceremony,
I couldn't help but cry.
The letter that I wrote
was extremely sad too.
That day was like a dream.
CROWD (chanting): Daeho! Daeho!
(singing)
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
ANNOUNCER: Please look towards the players
and send them your last goodbyes.
Everybody, with a loud voice...
I think I'll miss everything.
I'll miss my juniors.
I'll miss the stadium.
I'll also miss the voices
of fans cheering me on.
I think I'll miss
the fans' cheering the most.
The cheering that they do
while singing my name.
CROWD (chanting): Daeho!
Daeho! Daeho! Daeho!
(singing)
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Oh Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Lotte Lee Daeho ♪
♪ Lotte Lee Daeho... ♪
♪ For Lotte's victory ♪
♪ Let's march ahead ♪
♪ There may be challenges and suffering ♪
♪ We will not change ♪
♪ In this very place ♪
♪ We will shout victory! ♪
♪ Who are we? ♪
♪ Lotte, the strongest! ♪
♪ Who will win? ♪
♪ Lotte, the strongest! ♪
♪ Lotte will come out victorious ♪
LEE DAEHO WHO JOINED LOTTE
IN THE 2001 ROOKIE DRAFT
RETIRED ON OCTOBER 8, 2022
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF GAMES HE PLAYED
IN KOREA, JAPAN, AND THE US IS 2,645 GAMES
I love baseball.
Baseball is my favorite sport.
(chuckles)
I still love it.
There's nothing I love more.
YONGTAIK: For a number of years,
because we hadn't made it
to the Korean Series or the postseason,
the chairman said that if we won,
he'd open the bottle of awamori shochu.
That's what I heard.
And we haven't made
any progress ever since.
CASTER: It's like LG Twins
is on fire these days.
YONGTAIK: Don't you all think so?
That we can win this season.
A really strong message.
There must be changes.
After this,
I'll be commentating on Game 5.
JIHWAN: The only thing
we can show our fans is winning games.
There are more important things
than awamori shochu.
NEXT EPISODE
OPEN THE AWAMORI SHOCHU