"San Francisco's first offer was $113 million. When I heard the amount, my legs loosened."

Now it's Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants, not the Kiwoom Heroes. It was literally a 'return of gold'.

Jung-Hoo Lee is back. After signing a six-year, $113 million contract with San Francisco, Lee arrived at Incheon International Airport on Sept. 19. It's a staggering amount of guaranteed money, worth about $147.8 billion in Korean won. He also included an "opt-out" clause that allows him to become a free agent again after four years. He got the best deal he could.

After making a name for himself as one of the best hitters in the KBO, Lee will now start his baseball career as San Francisco's new leadoff man. Back in Korea, the deal seemed to finally sink in as he stood in front of the media.

"I'm more nervous now than I was at the local press conference," he said, "I feel honored to play for such a prestigious team with a long history. I've achieved my primary goal of becoming a major leaguer. Now it will be my secondary goal to go out there and do well."

When asked why he chose San Francisco and what happened leading up to the signing, Lee said, "Pete Putilla personally came to Korea. I felt like he wanted me the most. There were offers from other clubs, but I made the decision quickly, thinking it would be an honor to play for a team like this."

"The first offer from San Francisco was for $113 million. When I first heard about it, my legs went out from under me. To be honest, it was a little overwhelming. But my agent told me that it was a reward for all the hard work I've done and not to feel pressured. He told me that I should be confident."

"I was like, 'This is a major league stadium,'" he says of his first visit to Oracle Park. It was so nice. It's one of the most beautiful stadiums, and all I can think of are words like huge and grand," he says, adding, "It's wide in right-center field. I'm not a home run hitter, I'm a middle-of-the-order hitter. It felt like a good fit for me." 안전토토사이트 

Now he's a major leaguer. "I don't even realize I signed yet. It feels like I just went to the U.S. to work out. I have to think about it from now on. First of all, I want to win the team championship because I have never won a championship before."

Locally, Lee has been compared to "superstar" Shohei Ohtani, who switched to the Los Angeles Dodgers. San Francisco and the Dodgers are historic rivals, and the clash between the two Korean and Japanese stars is a hot topic. But Lee says, "Comparisons to Otani are nonsense. I'm just going to do my job and do it well. I'm not comparable to Ohtani. There's no pressure. Ohtani is already the best in the world. I'm just getting started. There's no comparison. I hope you don't see it that way," he concluded.Lee Jung-hoo's father, Lee Jong-beom, is the former LG Twins coach. His father was one of the best players in the game, and he congratulated his son on his achievement. He congratulated his son because he realized a dream he couldn't fulfill. "My dad has always believed in me since I was a kid," Lee said. He has never disagreed with my choices. I am grateful. And when he was busy playing, my mom did everything for me. Without her dedication, I don't think I would be here today. I am very grateful to her."