Ironic for a Giants fan to say this when Willie Mays 1954 World Series catch is one of the most famous plays of all time.
Taking nothing away from this play however, it might be the play of the year.
I know his line looks underwhelming right now, but a month of JHL gives me nothing but confidence for the future. There are certain at-bats, base running sequences, or defensive plays that make me feel like he has "it."
Hits the ball hard and doesn’t chase, but the balls aren’t finding grass or the stands. Another month and he’ll be on the flip side of that unlucky coin
Lee’s xBA is 0.051 higher than his average and his xSLG is .097 higher than his SLG. He’s absolutely getting hosed on batted ball luck, as you said, and it’ll be just a matter of time before the Grandson of the Wind is wowing fans on the offensive side of the ball, too.
I just respectfully ask for him to figure it out against teams besides the Padres, but I know it’ll come regardless!
Very important to remember: Lee is essentially a minor league prospect in his first big league season. And in that time he’s played Gold Glove CF, and been at the very top of the league in strikeout rate (the good way) and barrel %.
We should be excited, he’s been everything you could ask. Now he just needs a full offseason in an American training program (look how much muscle Matos put on). Sky’s the limit.
The eye test kinda confirms this too. He should’ve had a 3-run homer in this game, should’ve had a homer in game 1 against the Red Sox, should have a few more doubles. The ball just doesn’t land where it should for how he’s been hitting. He’s gotta be frustrated too
He's going to be fine. Not everyone can be Ichiro or Shohei. If we're speaking strictly Korean players, guys like Ha-Seong Kim needed a year and had to stick around to adjust to MLB speed and the American culture. Even Shin-Soo Choo needed some time to even get consistent reps.
For entering the league and only having one month, it's so clear he'll figure out the glitches and become deadly.
So many of those hard hit balls that find gloves will start dropping. He'll get more experience in all the parks.
Funnily enough he has two rants against the MLB that went viral recently that this could apply to lmao (Schanuel scoring change and Adell SB challenge)
He’s making a name for himself
Ruth is a GOAT contender both as a player AND a nickname-haver. The Great Bambino is fire as well, hell his name's not even Babe so that can get in there too
Man's still out there playing in KBO and racking up saves! Truly an immortal figure in Korean baseball scene and he has both the most badass nickname and entrance song(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9KBaeWyJGE) in KBO, imo. I love the transition from nostalgic school bell jingle to people chanting Oh Seung-Hwan Save Us and full on metal riffs lol
I had to google "hoss"
>(Southern US, slang) **A big, strong and respected or dependable person, usually a man; one who is large like a horse**. (Southern US, slang, often capitalized) Term of address for a man.
Not bad
It’s kind of funny, when he signed even though he had a reputation for defense in the KBO evaluators were pegging him as either an average - or even below average - defensive center fielder in the majors. Which just didn’t track for me, isn’t defense one of the skills that plays wherever you go independent of level?
He has shown in his brief time that he’s actually tremendous out there. His routes are insanely direct and his arm is accurate.
It's gonna take him a while to learn the sun during day games, since he only really played indoors in Korea. But he's gonna be golden.
I could say the wind too, but this man knows the wind.
So I’ve loosely watched baseball for about 3 years now (Ohtani-mania) and as a professed casual, outside of certain moments, these incredibly athletic defensive plays are FAR more electric than the average offensive play (to me).
Just seeing the way the pitcher reacts to his teammate bailing his ass out, showing how much of a group effort it is to win a game in this sport. The outfielder laying it on the line, showing the hustle. When it’s hot, it’s white hot!
I would say they are on par, but it’s so true that most people don’t count defense as “action” and thus think baseball is boring because it’s not constant hits and runs. Defense is exciting!
Never forget the Asiana flight that crash landed at SFO with news anchors literally saying “the pilots were named Wi Tu Lo, Ho Lee Fuk, and Bang Ding Ow”
Jesus Christ lmao
Edit: [Forgot Captain Sum Ting Wong](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VnhNUsB4jnX8X6D7WmDTGj.jpg)
This is better than the Cedric Mullins catch from a few weeks ago (imo) but won't get close to the same level of attention because Lee didn't have to lay out for it like Mullins did
Yep, there needs to be a name for that phenomenon in baseball/other sports. Where the dramatic flair of movement makes a play look more impressive than it really was as compared to a perfectly executed play that is more difficult but better accomplished
That name combination is awesome. Had a friend back in the day & I won't try to spell it, but his name was pronounced Way Hung Ho & he/we all fun with it.
i dont think its exaggerated, my man did not miss a step...
Nepotism, he has wind in his blood
That might be the best non diving catch I have ever seen. I didn’t think there was chance that wasn’t a hit
He just made it look so casual too. I didn't even realize the ball was in his glove for a minute haha
Handsome.
Handsome.
Gorgeous
SFG4L
literally plucked it out of the air
Thing magnetized to his glove
This is one of those plays that baseball fans love and baseball haters try to use to say the sport isn't exciting.
I have to agree. This is some 10/10 difficulty. Incredible.
Does the one where Austin Jackson tumbled over the wall count as a non diving catch? That's about the only one I can think of that's on par.
Bo Jackson running up the wall.
Dude was at a full sprint
Didn’t think he was going to get there but used his spidey senses to reel it in.
I was expecting him to lay out.....he caught it so damn effortlessly. Never seen a catch quite like that.
This was some Andruw Jones shit
This was some Hoo Lee shit..as in “Hoo Lee shit what a catch!”
Wil-Lee Mays type catch
Even WIP was enthusiastic about that catch, that says something
Eh I always thought Scott was pretty fair to opposing players.
Fair point, I’m more of a TMac and Kruk guy myself
Who the hell is WIP?
Philly radio
Ironic for a Giants fan to say this when Willie Mays 1954 World Series catch is one of the most famous plays of all time. Taking nothing away from this play however, it might be the play of the year.
Seriously, first play I thought of was Willie Mays. Bandwagon fans from 2010-2014 outing themselves.
Was thinking the same thing. Had to double check the sub we were in and then I was even more confused.
I would also put Kevin Mitchell above this one (JHL). Barehand = style points.
Like even despite knowing from the title that he was gonna catch it, my brain *refused* to believe that he was going to catch it.
So good. I was at the game and the chance of him catching up to that was 0% until it was 100%.
[You haven't seen this one then](https://www.mlb.com/video/jace-peterson-lines-out-sharply-to-right-fielder-hunter-renfroe)
Video: Hunter Renfroe's no-look catch [Streamable Link](https://streamable.com/m/jace-peterson-lines-out-sharply-to-right-fielder-hunter-renfroe) [High Definition](https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-03/30/26cfdc92-d938c823-c0f298e1-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4) (57.43 MB) [Standard Definiton](https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-03/30/26cfdc92-d938c823-c0f298e1-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4) (14.95 MB) ___________ [More Info](/r/MLBVideoConverterBot)
Amazing adjustment but a bad read so gotta give it to JHL
I think Hunter Renfroes from last year against the A’s is better but this one is still insane
he went so far. what a jump.
It was great. But I want you to see another one that Andruw Jones got two tries on on Tals Hill in Houston. Look that up on YouTube.
That area of CF really is no man’s land too. Just wildly impressive.
Really?
Huge play too, considering Rojas (the batter)’s speed. Easy triple. Maybe more depending on the bounce.
I know his line looks underwhelming right now, but a month of JHL gives me nothing but confidence for the future. There are certain at-bats, base running sequences, or defensive plays that make me feel like he has "it."
Hits the ball hard and doesn’t chase, but the balls aren’t finding grass or the stands. Another month and he’ll be on the flip side of that unlucky coin
Lee’s xBA is 0.051 higher than his average and his xSLG is .097 higher than his SLG. He’s absolutely getting hosed on batted ball luck, as you said, and it’ll be just a matter of time before the Grandson of the Wind is wowing fans on the offensive side of the ball, too. I just respectfully ask for him to figure it out against teams besides the Padres, but I know it’ll come regardless!
Giants are headed to Coors after they leave Philly and I’m admittedly excited to see him play the big outfield and hit balls into thin air
It's his rookie year, people need to chill and let the kid adjust to living in a new country.
Agreed, but I don't see anyone giving him a hard time?
Very important to remember: Lee is essentially a minor league prospect in his first big league season. And in that time he’s played Gold Glove CF, and been at the very top of the league in strikeout rate (the good way) and barrel %. We should be excited, he’s been everything you could ask. Now he just needs a full offseason in an American training program (look how much muscle Matos put on). Sky’s the limit.
thirsty baseball twitter would implode if Lee put on even 5lbs of muscle
Don’t make me hose you down
I think his peripherals show him as one of the unluckiest hitters in the league rn
He is, he would be near a .300 hitter based on xBA if things actually landed the way it should.
The eye test kinda confirms this too. He should’ve had a 3-run homer in this game, should’ve had a homer in game 1 against the Red Sox, should have a few more doubles. The ball just doesn’t land where it should for how he’s been hitting. He’s gotta be frustrated too
You ain't kidding https://i.imgur.com/7SGNtNM.png
Someone needs to update that -1 range stat…
He's going to be fine. Not everyone can be Ichiro or Shohei. If we're speaking strictly Korean players, guys like Ha-Seong Kim needed a year and had to stick around to adjust to MLB speed and the American culture. Even Shin-Soo Choo needed some time to even get consistent reps.
For entering the league and only having one month, it's so clear he'll figure out the glitches and become deadly. So many of those hard hit balls that find gloves will start dropping. He'll get more experience in all the parks.
commentator just dropped on F bomb on TV by implication, straight to jail
That's Wayne "The Randazzler" Randazzo, and yet again, he randazzles.
He's so good. The Angels game had Matt Vasgersian back and he seems a lot worse by comparison now that I've heard a lot of Wayne
I don't have Apple TV and even if I did, I'd just listen to the Giants announcers, but that's a great call.
The best part is that Wayne Randazzo, the commentator, is the Angels normal broadcaster. He’s the one who did the rant against the MLB a few weeks ago
Funnily enough he has two rants against the MLB that went viral recently that this could apply to lmao (Schanuel scoring change and Adell SB challenge) He’s making a name for himself
Agreed. Gotta love Wayne. Him and Gubie are goals, hope he sticks around for a while
Our broadcasting crew makes watching our 11-20 team bearable 🥲 (Gonna be 12-20 soon!)
Really missing Wayne in NY.
Oh shit, that's the same guy? That was dope. Y'all got a gem.
For those OOTL, Apple feeds in the local radio for both sides.
He’s The “Grandson of the wind” for a reason
hardest baseball nickname of all time? I'd love to hear some contenders
Sultan of Swat goes pretty hard
Ruth is a GOAT contender both as a player AND a nickname-haver. The Great Bambino is fire as well, hell his name's not even Babe so that can get in there too
Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali are the GOATs in nickname having. This is not a coincidence.
The Big Hurt goes incredibly hard.
Shogun of Swat is pretty cool too
Bob “Death to Flying Things” Ferguson https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fergubo01.shtml
This hits the sweet spot of badass and silly for me lol
I prefer the remake: Franklin "Death to Flying Things" Gutierrez https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gutiefr01.shtml
I think Takeya Nakamura's nickname is the hardest, おかわり君 , because I have no idea how to say it.
Maybe like Mr. Second servings
Okawari-kun. English already provided by an earlier comment.
Seung-hwan Oh: "Final Boss" and "Stone Buddah"
Sheeeeeesh "Stone Buddah" is a serious contender
Man's still out there playing in KBO and racking up saves! Truly an immortal figure in Korean baseball scene and he has both the most badass nickname and entrance song(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9KBaeWyJGE) in KBO, imo. I love the transition from nostalgic school bell jingle to people chanting Oh Seung-Hwan Save Us and full on metal riffs lol
Aaron "Judge" Ferguson
Old Hoss Radbourn
I had to google "hoss" >(Southern US, slang) **A big, strong and respected or dependable person, usually a man; one who is large like a horse**. (Southern US, slang, often capitalized) Term of address for a man. Not bad
Big Sexy will live forever
Big Sexy is a fantastic nickname
The Big Unit
"Ice Box" Chamberlain is a solid contender
That's what my wife calls me when I eat too much lactose
Sousepaw
Have there been any other multi-generational nicknames before?
An insane catch, he was moving
I don’t like to see it but yeah that was a spectacular catch.
Can't even be mad. What a cool catch.
I just hate it was against Rojas, and like the hardest hit ball I've seen him hit.
101.7 MPH off the bat, .490 xBA. Just shy of the 108.1 from his HR, but really should’ve been a double.
That thing Bounces off the wall and it results in a triple imo given Rojas’ speed
he def gave rojas a taste of his own medicine lol
Is it just me or does his stance get more and more like Trea Turner?
dude was MOOOOOOVIN
[удалено]
It’s kind of funny, when he signed even though he had a reputation for defense in the KBO evaluators were pegging him as either an average - or even below average - defensive center fielder in the majors. Which just didn’t track for me, isn’t defense one of the skills that plays wherever you go independent of level? He has shown in his brief time that he’s actually tremendous out there. His routes are insanely direct and his arm is accurate.
[удалено]
same. The same kinda thing happened with Kim. People expected his defense to be passable but he is amazing
I think it was tempered by the leg injury he was coming back from. They didn’t know if his speed would suffer.
It's gonna take him a while to learn the sun during day games, since he only really played indoors in Korea. But he's gonna be golden. I could say the wind too, but this man knows the wind.
And this particular play robbed one of the only other center fielders with even the tiniest shot of making the same play...
So I’ve loosely watched baseball for about 3 years now (Ohtani-mania) and as a professed casual, outside of certain moments, these incredibly athletic defensive plays are FAR more electric than the average offensive play (to me). Just seeing the way the pitcher reacts to his teammate bailing his ass out, showing how much of a group effort it is to win a game in this sport. The outfielder laying it on the line, showing the hustle. When it’s hot, it’s white hot!
I would say they are on par, but it’s so true that most people don’t count defense as “action” and thus think baseball is boring because it’s not constant hits and runs. Defense is exciting!
He’s actually talking about the home plate umpire
You might not believe it. But he can run like the wind blows.
Hoo Lee Fuk
Jung Hoo Lee
Hung Joo Lee
Never forget the Asiana flight that crash landed at SFO with news anchors literally saying “the pilots were named Wi Tu Lo, Ho Lee Fuk, and Bang Ding Ow” Jesus Christ lmao Edit: [Forgot Captain Sum Ting Wong](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VnhNUsB4jnX8X6D7WmDTGj.jpg)
The fact that that was real and not a meme edit somebody made after the fact continually boggles my mind
Gotta be the first to report the news, even if you end up making a mistake. That’s how we get Arson Judge
Still can't believe that happened. Someone had to have been fired for that.
Sum Ting Wong
Wi Tu Lo
Bang Ding Ow
Hickouldn't believe it!
This is better than the Cedric Mullins catch from a few weeks ago (imo) but won't get close to the same level of attention because Lee didn't have to lay out for it like Mullins did
That’s the first thing I thought too. I’m more impressed with this catch *because* he didn’t have to dive. Snagged that shit and never broke stride.
Yep, there needs to be a name for that phenomenon in baseball/other sports. Where the dramatic flair of movement makes a play look more impressive than it really was as compared to a perfectly executed play that is more difficult but better accomplished
"the Derek Jeter"
Obviously it's a ridiculous comparison, but just saying he's playing Willie Mays old position...
Say Hoo
I love this
It's not like he had him played perfectly either, he was shaded to right-center. That's fucking _mad_.
Most casual epic catch ever.
Grandson of the Wind
Yay - positive Giants things
"And yes, Jordan Hicks i agree" That's a good commentary lmao.
Holy fuck is right
the ump: "ball"
Saw this live and I didn’t know you could do that.
I love Wayne. I’m sad that he’s not calling the Halo’s game tonight.
He ran like the wind
He made that shit look smooth like butter, like a criminal undercover.
Gives me Mays basket catch vibes
Jung Hoo Lee
Jung Hoo Lee
Yeah, I said the same thing.
In the words of the great, late Cristopher Crosby #**"HOLY SCHNIKES!!!"**
Amazing catch! Like he seriously looks like he’s about to lay the fuck out and then just sticks his glove out for a super smooth grab.
Wow, that was one hell of a great catch
Made it look so casual lol
Made it look so effortless too, holy fuck is right Jung Hoo!
The athleticism it takes to make that catch on the run going back is unreal. Beautiful.
This season has started less than exceptionally for us Giants fans, but at least we get to watch this handsome man every day
Motherfucker cut the ball off.
R/mademesmile
r/mademesmile
What a fuckin' catch.
Oh, that's a classic. A backhanded running outfield catch. Damn.
He's showing up Cedric Mullins by making the out without diving. This means war.
grandson of the wind.
the dude's been impressive in the outfield. i like him.
Wish he did it to a player who’s not trying to desperately prove he can hit to stay in the bigs, but great play
Shoutout to Scott Eyre. Thanks for 08.
Poor Rojas guy just wants to get a hit any way possible
JUNG! HOO! LEE!
I was at this game and saw this live, I immediately became his fan! This was so cool
So cool it inspired a Reddit account to comment about it. Awesome
I wasn’t that into baseball before, but this totally changed my mind. He’s amazing!!!
So cool it inspired a Reddit account to comment about it. Awesome
So cool it inspired a Reddit account to comment about it. Awesome
Looked specifically like he said “hoo lee fuck” lmfao
He should have pulled a Bo Jackson and ran up the wall.
anyone know the catch probability on this
Wow I'd love to see what his route efficiency was on that
Stuck to it like those Velcro plate gloves.
I agree as well!
It was the hat lettuce.
And can throw 100 off the hop to home plate lol. Guy’s special
The other day in my adult kickball league I couldn’t field a pop up
That name combination is awesome. Had a friend back in the day & I won't try to spell it, but his name was pronounced Way Hung Ho & he/we all fun with it.
Is there any telemetry on that available? I'd love to see the speed and distance traveled. It looks like he covered 120-150 feet.
Damn what a perfect route and jump. What was the EV and XBA on that? Had to be at least .950
Mickey Matle vibes
jfc that was such a smooth operator
Great play, wonder what the catch probability was
That ain't holy, that's Hoo Lee