Lee Seung-yeop vs. Lee Dae-ho. January. 26, 2017 07:04. by Heon-Jae Lee uni@donga.com. “15 billion will do”

During a new year’s interview at Daegu early this month, Samsung hitter Lee Seung-yeop suddenly commented on the 35-year-old Lotte Giants slugger Lee Dae-ho.

Back then, the future was unclear for Lee. It was more likely that Lee joined the U.S. Major League or the Japanese professional baseball team, rather than returning to Korea. It was that exact moment when the Lee Seung-yeop asked “isn’t Dae-ho returning to Lotte Giants? A player like him can be of great help to the Korean baseball league.”

When the reporter answered" “After all, it all boils down to money, right?,” Lee Seung-yeop gave the following answer. “Dae-ho earns 500 million yen in Japan, roughly around 5 billion won in Korea. He will join Giants if he is offered 20 billion for four years, but that will be a hefty price for Lotte to pay. Still, it would be a win-win game if Lotte offers the best money and Dae-ho can yield ground. I would say between 10 and 20 billion won, the median at 15 would be the appropriate price.” While the conversation ended in a good laugh, this turned out to be a reality, as Lotte Giants and Lee Dae-ho officially agreed on a four-year contract at 15 billion won.

As the two most famous sluggers in Korea with titles “Korea’s most popular” (Lee Seung-yeop) and “Joseon’s No. 4” hitter (Lee Dae-ho), their KBO league career never overlapped. After joining Lotte Giants in 2001, Lee Dae-ho stepped up as the leadoff since 2004, when Lee Seung-yeop made inroads into the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league. And when Lee Seung-yeop returned to Korea in 2012, Lee Dae-ho took his chance at NPB. Still, the two hitters continued to bond as national baseball team members at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2013 World Baseball Classics (WBC). Lee Dae-ho often referred to Seung-yeop, saying, “I would like to become a player like Lee who others can always look up to.”

This year will be the last chance for the two players to play at the same league, as Lee Seung-yeop will retire at the end of 2017. Often will we spot the first baseman Lee Seung-yeop spank Lee Dae-ho as the runner on the first base.