Dae-ho Lee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lee Dae-ho
Lee with the Lotte Giants
First baseman
Born: (1982-06-21) June 21, 1982 (age 43) Busan, South Korea
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Professional debut
KBO: September 19, 2001, for the Lotte Giants
NPB: March 30, 2012, for the Orix Buffaloes
MLB: April 4, 2016, for the Seattle Mariners
Last appearance
NPB: October 29, 2015, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
MLB: October 3, 2016, for the Seattle Mariners
KBO: October 8, 2022, for the Lotte Giants
KBO statistics
Batting average	.309
Home runs	374
Runs batted in	1,425
NPB statistics
Batting average	.293
Home runs	98
Runs batted in	348
MLB statistics
Batting average	.253
Home runs	14
Runs batted in	49
Teams
Lotte Giants (2001–2011) Orix Buffaloes (2012–2013) Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2014–2015) Seattle Mariners (2016) Lotte Giants (2017–2022)
Career highlights and awards
KBO KBO MVP (2010) 7× KBO Golden Glove Award (2006–2007, 2010–2011, 2017–2018, 2022) 2× KBO Triple Crown (2006, 2010) NPB RBI leader of PL (2012) Pacific League Best Nine Award (2012) 3× NPB All-Star (2012–2014) 2× Japan Series Champion (2014, 2015) Japan Series MVP (2015) International WBSC Premier12 All-World Team (2015)
Medals Men's baseball Representing  South Korea Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing Team World Baseball Classic Silver 2009 Los Angeles Team 2015 WBSC Premier12 Gold 2015 Tokyo Team

Lee Dae-ho (Hangul: 이대호; born June 21, 1982) is a famous South Korean professional baseball player. He played as a first baseman. During his amazing career, he played for teams in South Korea, Japan, and the United States.

He played for the Lotte Giants in the KBO League (South Korea). He also played for the Orix Buffaloes and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. Later, he joined the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States.

Lee batted and threw with his right hand. He made history by hitting home runs in nine games in a row. This was a world record in professional baseball! In 2011, a survey showed that Lee was the most popular player in the KBO League.

Lee Dae-ho's Early Baseball Days

Lee Dae-ho started playing baseball because of his friend, Shin-Soo Choo. They went to Kyungnam High School in Busan, South Korea, together. In high school, Lee was a strong hitter and a fast pitcher.

In 2000, he was chosen for the South Korean Junior National Team. This team won the World Junior Baseball Championship in Canada. Lee was a key player, hitting 3 home runs. He also had a great batting average of .500, which means he got a hit half the times he tried!

Playing for His Country as a Young Star

Lee Dae-ho played in important international games even before he became a professional.

Year	Where	What Competition	Team Result	His Performance
2000	CAN	World Junior Baseball Championship		.500 Batting Average, 3 Home Runs

Lee Dae-ho's Professional Career

Lee Dae-ho had a long and successful career playing baseball around the world.

Playing in the KBO League

Starting with the Lotte Giants

Lee joined the Lotte Giants in South Korea in 2001. He started as a pitcher. But after an injury, he became a position player (someone who plays in the field) later that year.

Winning the Triple Crown in 2006

In 2006, Lee had an amazing season. He won the league's Major League Baseball Triple Crown. This means he led the league in three important stats:

• Batting average (.336)
• Home runs (26)
• Runs batted in (88)

He was only the second player in the Korea Professional Baseball league to win the Batting Triple Crown.

Olympic Gold Medal in 2008

In 2008, Lee was part of the South Korea national baseball team. They won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing! Lee played as the designated hitter. He hit 3 home runs and had 10 RBIs during the tournament.

Setting a World Record in 2010

On August 13, 2010, Lee made history. He hit a home run in eight games in a row. This tied a world record shared by famous players like Ken Griffey Jr.

The very next day, August 14, 2010, Lee broke the record! He hit a home run in his ninth straight game. This was a three-run homer that helped his team win. It was his 38th home run of that season.

In 2010, Lee had one of the best offensive seasons ever. He led the KBO in seven different batting categories. This made him a "Septuple Crown" winner!

Leaving the KBO in 2011

In 2011, Lee continued to play well. He led the KBO League in batting average (.357), hits (176), and on-base percentage (.433). After this season, he decided to try playing baseball in other countries.

Playing in Japan (NPB)

Lee Dae-ho playing for the Orix Buffaloes.

In December 2011, Lee signed a two-year contract with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played in Japan for four years (2012–2015). During this time, he had the highest OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) rate, which shows how good a hitter is.

Winning the Home-run Derby in 2012

On July 20, 2012, Lee won the NPB Home-run Derby. He hit 6 home runs in the contest! He finished his 2012 season with a .286 batting average, 24 home runs, and 91 RBIs.

Playing in Major League Baseball (MLB)

Time with the Seattle Mariners

Lee with the Seattle Mariners in 2016

On February 3, 2016, Lee signed a contract with the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States.

On April 8, 2016, Lee got his first hit in the major leagues, and it was a home run! A few days later, on April 13, 2016, he hit a "pinch-hit walk-off home run." This means he came into the game as a substitute hitter and hit a home run that won the game immediately. It was the first time a rookie had done this for the Mariners!

Coming Back to the KBO

Back with the Lotte Giants

On January 24, 2017, Lee returned to his old team, the Lotte Giants. He signed a big four-year contract. His 2017 season was very successful. He hit .320 with 34 home runs and 111 RBIs. He helped the Lotte Giants reach the postseason for the first time in five years.

In 2018, he continued to play well, hitting .333 with 37 home runs. However, in 2019, he faced some injuries.

On October 8, 2022, Lee played his final professional game. In a special moment, he even got to pitch for the first time in his career!

Life After Retirement

After retiring from baseball, Lee Dae-ho became a broadcaster. He appears on many TV shows.

One of his main activities is a show called "A Clean Sweep". On this show, retired baseball legends like Lee play against high school, university, and other baseball teams.

Lee also has a YouTube channel called "이대호 [RE:DAEHO]". He regularly uploads videos about baseball there.

Awards and Achievements

Lee Dae-ho won many awards and achieved great things throughout his career.

KBO League Awards

• 2005 KBO All-Star MVP
• 2008 KBO All-Star MVP
• 7-time KBO Golden Glove Award (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2022)
• 2010 KBO MVP (regular season)

Nippon Professional Baseball Awards

• 2012 Pacific League Best Nine Award (First Baseman)

Major Achievements

KBO League Achievements

• 2006: Batting, Home Run, RBI, and Slugging Percentage leader. Won the Triple Crown.
• 2010: Batting, Home Run, RBI, Hits, Runs Scored, Slugging Percentage, and On-base Percentage leader. Won the Triple Crown.
• 2010: Set a world record with nine consecutive home runs.
• 2011: Batting, Hits, and On-base Percentage leader.

Nippon Professional Baseball Achievements

• 2012: RBI leader

Notable International Performances

Lee Dae-ho also had a strong presence in international baseball tournaments.

Year	Where	Competition	Team Result	His Performance
2006	Qatar	Asian Games		.409 Batting Average, 2 HR, 10 RBI
2008	CHN	Olympic Games		.360 Batting Average, 3 HR, 10 RBI
2009	USA	World Baseball Classic		.278 Batting Average, 5 RBI
2010	CHN	Asian Games		.368 Batting Average, 1 HR

Media Appearances

Lee Dae-ho has appeared on many TV shows in South Korea.

See Also

• List of KBO career home run leaders
• List of KBO career RBI leaders