Lee Bum-Ho
Encyclopedia
Lee Bum-Ho nicknamed "Lee Bum-Honger(Hangul
: 이범홍어), Betrayer, Flower Bum-Ho(Hangul
: 꽃범호)," is a South Korea
n third baseman
who plays for the Kia Tigers
in the Korea Baseball Organization
league. He bats and throws right-handed.
Lee is considered one of the best defensive third basemen in the KBO league. He is also able to make great contributions on offense as well. He hits with considerable power, which has enabled him to collect 20+ home runs every season.
Draft.
He had a couple of mediocre seasons as a backup shortstop
, but started to show signs of promise in 2002 when he batted .260 and hit 11 home runs. After the 2002 season, Lee was selected for the South Korea national baseball team for the first time and competed in the 2002 Intercontinental Cup
held in Cuba
. In the Gold Medal game, Lee hit a solo home run off Cuba
's starter José Ibar
in the bottom of the 4th inning to break a 0-0 tie.
His stats dipped slightly in 2003, but broke out again in the 2004 season when he batted a career-high .308 with 23 home runs and 74 RBIs, playing in all 126 regular-season games as a shortstop.
In 2005, Lee moved from shortstop to third base
, and hit a career-high 26 home runs with 68 RBIs. He won his first Golden Glove award at third base, edging out Kim Dong-Joo
in the balloting.
Prior to the 2006 season, Lee was called up to the South Korea national baseball team and competed in the inaugural World Baseball Classic
.
From 2004 through 2007, Lee had four consecutive seasons with 20 or more home runs.
In 2008, he batted .276, hit 19 home runs, drove in 77 runs and stole a career-high 12 bases.
In March 2009, Lee competed for the South Korea national baseball team for the 2009 World Baseball Classic
. For the Classic, Lee went 8-for-20 with 3 home runs, 5 runs and 7 RBIs in six games. He was fifth in RBI and tied for the lead with six others in home runs in the tournament, and named to the All-Star team at third base
. In the 2009 KBO season, Lee had another solid performance, batting .284 with 25 home runs (7th in the league), 124 hits and a career-high 79 RBIs in 126 regular-season games as a third baseman.
Lee signed as a free agent with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League in November 2009. He batted .226 in 48 games for the Hawks in 2010, with 4 home runs and 8 RBI. He hit his first NPB home run on 4/9/2010 against Nippon Ham at Fukuoka Dome in the seventh inning off Hirotoshi Masui.
In January 27, 2011, Lee signed with the Kia Tigers of the Korea Professional Baseball League.
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 이범홍어), Betrayer, Flower Bum-Ho(Hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 꽃범호)," is a South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
who plays for the Kia Tigers
Kia Tigers
Kia Tigers Professional Baseball Club is a Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982. The Tigers are a member team of the Korean Baseball Organization and the most successful team in Korean baseball having won the national championship, the Korean Series, ten times, with a perfect 10-0...
in the Korea Baseball Organization
Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. KBO should not be confused with the Korea Professional Baseball League. KBO was founded in 1981 and has been governing two leagues, Korea Professional Baseball and Futures League since...
league. He bats and throws right-handed.
Lee is considered one of the best defensive third basemen in the KBO league. He is also able to make great contributions on offense as well. He hits with considerable power, which has enabled him to collect 20+ home runs every season.
Professional career
Lee made his pro debut in 2000, drafted by the Hanwha Eagles in the 2nd round (8th pick, 16th overall) of the 2000 KBOKorean Baseball Organization
Korea Professional Baseball is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The Korean romanization is Hanguk Peuro Yagu , a league title which mirrors Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Korea Professional Baseball was originally founded with six teams in 1982 and currently has eight...
Draft.
He had a couple of mediocre seasons as a backup shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, but started to show signs of promise in 2002 when he batted .260 and hit 11 home runs. After the 2002 season, Lee was selected for the South Korea national baseball team for the first time and competed in the 2002 Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup (baseball)
The Intercontinental Cup is a baseball tournament between the members of the International Baseball Federation . It was first held in 1973 in Italy, and was held every other year following until 1999....
held in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. In the Gold Medal game, Lee hit a solo home run off Cuba
Cuba national baseball team
The Cuba national baseball team is the national team of Cuba. The team is made up of amateur players from the Cuban national baseball system, as there are no professional sports leagues in Cuba...
's starter José Ibar
José Ibar
José Ibar Martínez is a Cuban baseball player and Olympic silver medalist.-External links:*...
in the bottom of the 4th inning to break a 0-0 tie.
His stats dipped slightly in 2003, but broke out again in the 2004 season when he batted a career-high .308 with 23 home runs and 74 RBIs, playing in all 126 regular-season games as a shortstop.
In 2005, Lee moved from shortstop to third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
, and hit a career-high 26 home runs with 68 RBIs. He won his first Golden Glove award at third base, edging out Kim Dong-Joo
Kim Dong-Joo
Kim Dong-Joo is a South Korean third baseman, who plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization...
in the balloting.
Prior to the 2006 season, Lee was called up to the South Korea national baseball team and competed in the inaugural World Baseball Classic
2006 World Baseball Classic
---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...
.
From 2004 through 2007, Lee had four consecutive seasons with 20 or more home runs.
In 2008, he batted .276, hit 19 home runs, drove in 77 runs and stole a career-high 12 bases.
In March 2009, Lee competed for the South Korea national baseball team for the 2009 World Baseball Classic
2009 World Baseball Classic
The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the...
. For the Classic, Lee went 8-for-20 with 3 home runs, 5 runs and 7 RBIs in six games. He was fifth in RBI and tied for the lead with six others in home runs in the tournament, and named to the All-Star team at third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
. In the 2009 KBO season, Lee had another solid performance, batting .284 with 25 home runs (7th in the league), 124 hits and a career-high 79 RBIs in 126 regular-season games as a third baseman.
Lee signed as a free agent with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League in November 2009. He batted .226 in 48 games for the Hawks in 2010, with 4 home runs and 8 RBI. He hit his first NPB home run on 4/9/2010 against Nippon Ham at Fukuoka Dome in the seventh inning off Hirotoshi Masui.
In January 27, 2011, Lee signed with the Kia Tigers of the Korea Professional Baseball League.
Career Stats
| Year | Team | AVG | G | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | RUN | SB | CS | BB | SO | GIDP | SF | SLG |
| 2000 | Hanwha | .162 | 69 | 74 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 21 | 2 | 1 | .297 |
| 2001 | .196 | 71 | 138 | 27 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 25 | 3 | 8 | .326 | |
| 2002 | .260 | 111 | 296 | 77 | 20 | 2 | 11 | 35 | 41 | 5 | 1 | 27 | 57 | 5 | 6 | .453 | |
| 2003 | .238 | 107 | 323 | 77 | 19 | 1 | 11 | 38 | 46 | 2 | 6 | 52 | 63 | 6 | 9 | .406 | |
| 2004 | .308 | 133 | 481 | 148 | 35 | 3 | 23 | 74 | 80 | 6 | 3 | 51 | 80 | 8 | 9 | .536 | |
| 2005 | .273 | 126 | 444 | 121 | 27 | 1 | 26 | 68 | 69 | 6 | 2 | 62 | 94 | 8 | 7 | .514 | |
| 2006 | .257 | 126 | 421 | 108 | 25 | 1 | 20 | 73 | 53 | 0 | 2 | 72 | 87 | 11 | 4 | .463 | |
| 2007 | .246 | 126 | 418 | 103 | 14 | 0 | 21 | 63 | 57 | 2 | 0 | 77 | 73 | 14 | 10 | .431 | |
| 2008 | .276 | 125 | 434 | 120 | 21 | 3 | 19 | 77 | 80 | 12 | 1 | 70 | 50 | 18 | 4 | .470 | |
| 2009 | .284 | 126 | 436 | 124 | 21 | 0 | 25 | 79 | 64 | 3 | 1 | 60 | 70 | 10 | 3 | .505 | |
| Total | 10 Season | .265 | 1120 | 3465 | 917 | 196 | 12 | 160 | 526 | 523 | 39 | 20 | 495 | 620 | 85 | 61 | .467 |
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Intercontinental Cup 2002 Intercontinental Cup (baseball) The 2002 Intercontinental Cup was held in Havana, Cuba from November 8 through November 20, 2002. Cuba defeated South Korea 2-1 in the final to win the tournament.... |
 |
.303 BA (10-for-33), 1 HR | |
| 2006 | World Baseball Classic 2006 World Baseball Classic ---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:... |
 |
.176 BA (3-for-17), 2 RBI, 1 R | |
| 2009 | World Baseball Classic 2009 World Baseball Classic The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the... |
|
.400 BA (8-for-20), 3 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R All-Star (3B), HR title |
|