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 (born June 21, 1982) is a famous South Korean professional baseball player. He mostly played as a first baseman. During his amazing career, he played for teams in South Korea, Japan, and even the United States.

Lee was known for hitting and throwing right-handed. He made history by hitting home runs in nine games in a row! This was a world record at the time. In 2011, a survey showed that he was the most popular player in the KBO League, which is South Korea's top baseball league.

Lee Dae-ho's Baseball Journey

Starting Out: Amateur Career

Lee Dae-ho started playing baseball because of his friend, Shin-Soo Choo. He went to Kyungnam High School in Busan, South Korea. In high school, he was a great hitter and also a pitcher who could throw very fast.

In 2000, Lee 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 fantastic batting average of .500, which means he got a hit half the times he batted!

International Success as a Junior Player

Lee Dae-ho helped his team win big on the world stage even before he became a professional.

Year	Venue	Competition	Team	Individual Note
2000	CAN	World Junior Baseball Championship		.500 BA (15-for-30), 3 HR

Becoming a Professional Player

KBO League: Early Years

Lee Dae-ho joined the Lotte Giants in the KBO League in 2001. He started as a pitcher, but after an injury, he became a position player (a player who focuses on batting and fielding, not pitching).

KBO League: Triple Crown Winner

In 2006, Lee had an amazing season. He won the league's Triple Crown! This means he led the league in three important stats: batting average (.336), home runs (26), and RBIs (88). He was only the second player in KBO history to achieve this.

Olympic Gold Medalist

In 2008, Lee was part of the South Korea national baseball team that won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He was a designated hitter and played a big role in their victory.

KBO League: World Record Breaker

On August 13, 2010, Lee Dae-ho made history. He hit a home run in eight games in a row, tying a world record shared by famous players like Ken Griffey Jr.. The very next day, on August 14, 2010, he broke the record! He hit a home run in his ninth straight game, setting a new world record in professional baseball.

In 2010, Lee had one of the best offensive seasons ever. He led the KBO in seven different batting categories! This incredible achievement is sometimes called a "Septuple Crown."

KBO League: Final Stint

In 2011, Lee continued to dominate, leading the KBO League in batting average, hits, and on-base percentage. After this season, he decided to try playing baseball in other countries.

Playing in Japan: Nippon Professional Baseball

Lee Dae-ho playing for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan.

In December 2011, Lee signed a big contract with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league. He played in Japan for four years (2012–2015) and was one of the best hitters there.

Home Run Derby Champion

In 2012, Lee won the NPB Home Run Derby, showing off his powerful hitting skills. He finished that season with a .286 batting average, 24 home runs, and 91 RBIs.

Time in the USA: Major League Baseball

Lee with the Seattle Mariners in 2016

On February 3, 2016, Lee Dae-ho signed a contract with the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States. He joined the main team on March 27, 2016.

First MLB Home Run

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 just to bat, and his home run won the game for his team in the very last moment. It was a first for a rookie on the Mariners!

He continued to hit important home runs for the Mariners throughout the 2016 season.

Back to Korea: Return to the Lotte Giants

On January 24, 2017, Lee Dae-ho returned to his original team, the Lotte Giants, in the KBO League. He signed the largest contract for a free agent in KBO history at the time.

His return was a big success! In 2017, 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 had another great year, hitting .333 with 37 home runs.

Lee played his final professional game on October 8, 2022. In a special moment, he even made his first-ever appearance as a pitcher in that game!

Life After Baseball

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

One of his main activities is a show called "The Greatest Baseball." On this show, retired legendary baseball players like him play against high school, university, and other baseball teams. He also has a YouTube channel where he shares baseball-related content.

Awards and Honors

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

KBO League

• 2005 KBO All-Star MVP
• 2008 KBO All-Star MVP
• 2006 KBO Golden Glove Award (First Baseman)
• 2007 KBO Golden Glove Award (First Baseman)
• 2010 KBO MVP (regular season MVP)
• 2010 KBO Golden Glove Award (Third Baseman)
• 2011 KBO Golden Glove Award (First Baseman)
• 2017 KBO Golden Glove Award (First Baseman)
• 2018 KBO Golden Glove Award (Designated Hitter)

Nippon Professional Baseball

• 2012 Pacific League Best Nine Award (First Baseman)

Major Achievements

KBO League

• 2006 Batting title
• 2006 Home run title
• 2006 RBI title
• 2006 Slugging percentage leader
• 2006 Triple Crown (Batting Average, Home Runs, RBIs)
• 2007 Slugging percentage leader
• 2010 Batting title
• 2010 Home run title
• 2010 RBI title
• 2010 Hits leader
• 2010 Runs scored leader
• 2010 Slugging percentage leader
• 2010 On-base percentage leader
• 2010 OPS (on-base plus slugging) leader
• 2010 Triple Crown (Batting Average, Home Runs, RBIs)
• 2010 Nine consecutive home runs (world record)
• 2011 Batting title
• 2011 Hits leader
• 2011 On-base percentage leader

Nippon Professional Baseball

• 2012 RBI title

Notable International Careers

Lee Dae-ho also represented South Korea in many international baseball tournaments, winning several medals.

Year	Venue	Competition	Team	Individual Note
2006	Qatar	Asian Games		.409 BA (9-for-22), 2 HR, 10 RBI, 4 R
2007	TPE	Asian Baseball Championship		.000 BA (0-for-4)
2008	TPE	Final Olympic Qualification Tournament		.393 BA (11-for-28), 8 RBI, 4 R
2008	CHN	Olympic Games		.360 BA (9-for-25), 3 HR, 10 RBI, 5 R
2009	USA	World Baseball Classic		.278 BA (5-for-18), 5 RBI, 1 R
2010	CHN	Asian Games		.368 BA (7-for-19), 1 HR

See also

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