The first time stepping onto the sacred ground of American baseball, Yankee Stadium, after his debut. However, there was neither tension nor pressure. From the first inning, he swung his bat with his usual gusto, resulting in a decisive three-run homer, causing the fans of America's top prestigious club to fall silent.

Lee Jung-hoo made a strong impact by starting the game as the number 3 center fielder on the 12th (Korean time) at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, where the first game of the 2025 Major League Baseball interleague series against the New York Yankees was held, achieving 2 at-bats, 1 hit, 1 home run, 3 RBIs, 2 walks, and 2 runs scored, leading the team to a dominant 9-1 victory after 6 innings with a rain delay.

In his first at-bat at Yankee Stadium, the sacred ground of American baseball, he hit his season's first home run. In the top of the first inning, table setter Mike Yastrzemski and Willy Adames set up a scoring opportunity with a double and a walk, respectively. Lee Jung-hoo did not miss the scoring chance and faced Yankees starter Marcus Stroman, hitting a three-run homer.

In heavy rain, Lee Jung-hoo targeted Stroman's third pitch, an 89.4 mph (143 km/h) sinker that was located in the middle of the strike zone at a 1B-1S count, connecting for a right-field home run. The ball's speed was 100.5 mph (161 km/h), with a distance of 387 feet (117 m). It was his season's first home run after 12 games.

After already leading 5-0, Lee Jung-hoo, who grounded out to shortstop with one out in the second inning, returned to bat as the lead-off hitter in the fifth inning, leading 5-1, and worked a walk against Iaan Hamilton, going up to nine pitches. In a 1B-2S unfavorable count, he faced the fifth pitch, responding only on the ninth pitch which was a high four-seam fastball.

Lee Jung-hoo reached third base after advancing from second base through walks by Matt Chapman and LaMonte Wade Jr., and he utilized his speed to touch home plate on Wilmer Flores's ground ball to the pitcher, contributing to the score.

Lee Jung-hoo's keen baseball instincts continued. With an 8-1 lead in the sixth inning and no outs, he calmly earned a walk, achieving his third on-base appearance against Yoendris Gómez. The fourth pitch, an 89.7 mph (144 km/h) four-seam fastball, came in deep towards him and almost resulted in a hit by pitch, but he avoided it and walked to first base without injury.

As the owner of the decisive three-run home run, Lee Jung-hoo raised his season batting average from .333 to .340. His OPS also reached 1.000 from .908.

The official Major League Baseball account posted a video of Lee Jung-hoo's home run, noting, "Lee Jung-hoo devoured New York in one bite." The local commentary team remarked, "Great swing," praising Lee Jung-hoo's home run.

MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, highlighted Lee Jung-hoo's home run, which overcame the inclement weather he faced after long using a domed stadium as his home ground. The media noted, "Lee Jung-hoo has barely had to play in bad weather in his home country of South Korea. His former team, the Kiwoom Heroes, uses Gocheok Sky Dome as their home ground. Thus, this home run feels particularly impressive."

Before the game in New York, heavy rain poured, delaying the start by about 30 minutes. Even after the game began, the rain continued unabated, but because it was an interleague matchup between the National League's San Francisco and the American League's Yankees, the game proceeded without cancellation. Given the league's game schedule and flight times, rescheduling was essentially impossible.

Lee Jung-hoo remarked through an interpreter, "In the KBO League, a game like today wouldn't have even started. The KBO League often cancels games due to rain."

The affection for Lee Jung-hoo from the manager continued. San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin said, "It was a really wonderful moment. I also did not take that moment lightly. Everyone has heard of Yankee Stadium. Lee Jung-hoo had never played here, and although he faced a difficult environment, he hit a home run with two runners on base, giving the team great vitality from the first inning."

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