Draft failed, independent baseball team crossed... Lee Joon-woo, the 'Smile Angel' who became a hero, said, "I'm so happy that I can only play baseball."

Draft failed, independent baseball team crossed... Lee Joon-woo, the 'Smile Angel' who became a hero, said, "I'm so happy that I can only play baseball."

Blog Article

On August 26, 2019, when the 2020 KBO Rookie Draft was held. Like all drafts, it is a day filled with unforgettable happiness for someone who announced their entry into the profession, and a moment of pain that cannot be erased for someone else. Kyungnam High School pitcher Lee Joon-woo (Kium) was like that. I couldn't erase my regret while applauding the nominations of Lee Ju-hyung (LG), Jeon Ui-san (SSG), and Jang Jae-hyuk (KIA), who are my high schoolmates.안전놀이터

After six years, Lee Jun-woo has been playing in the KBO League confidently. As a member of the hero team, he has engraved the title of "professional player" in front of his name. On the 2nd, he transitioned from a nurturing player to an official player and was called up to the first team. He pitched in relief against KT on the 3rd, and made his debut game. He is constantly receiving opportunities. He played nine games through the 19th, leaving three earned runs in seven ⅔ innings. As always, he is taking steps step by step.

◆ Every moment, with a smile

He is a pitcher with a bright smile on his face all the time even during hectic training. When asked for an interview suddenly, he said, "It's my first interview since I became a professional," again smiling brightly. "On the eve of the call-up, I was lying on the bed watching baseball games at the dorm. Then, I got a call from my manager. He said, "I have to go to Suwon tomorrow." Everything has been a dream since then. I felt like I would never get caught. I'm so happy but I still can't believe it. I couldn't believe it," he said. "It didn't feel real even when I was on the mound."

"It's so nice to be able to play baseball only. I used to live as a group in college teams, but when I was in the independent league, I had to do everything by myself. I had to know how to cook alone, and I didn't have a car when I was on the road for games or training, so I got a friend's car. There are so many people around me who help me when I come to a professional team. It's really nice to be able to focus only on baseball."

◆ They say it's old persimmon

As he said, he has gone through tough years. Undaunted by being eliminated from the draft, he went on to Dongui University. Over the past three years, he had 19 games with three wins and no losses and an ERA of 3.54 (11 earned runs in 27 ⅔ innings), but it was also a tough road and he could not be satisfied with himself. He headed to the Seongnam Magpies, an independent baseball team, in 2023. He wanted to keep in mind that it was his last challenge to change the environment. Last year, he also challenged for the 2025 KBO Rookie Draft tryout. However, he was blocked by a series of failures.

"Honestly, it was really hard. If it wasn't hard, it would be a lie. He always looks positive and positive in everything, and even if it's hard, he doesn't show his face. But it wasn't easy to think positively because he failed in the 2019 draft and last year's tryout. I felt like everything was over," he said.
He never gave up. "After failing the tryout, I thought I should join the military. Still, I still have some regrets. There is also a period when teams select developing players through tests. I can't guarantee it, but if the opportunity comes (before I go to the military), I have to do something before I quit to join the military. I thought I would regret taking the test after playing in the military, so I worked out hard until the end," he confessed.

Finally, the sky smiled. With the help of acquaintances who had been working out together since the days of Seongnam McPais, he participated in Kiwoom's training test and passed it. He accepted the number 101 and developed his dream again. After that, Lee Jun-woo, who now wears 21 uniforms and takes the mound, is in the position.

◆ Because I'm not alone

They must be helped by their loved ones. After watching their son's challenge more eagerly than anyone else, their parents gave their son silent support to him, who started his difficult life in Seoul from 2023. They made him not worry about living expenses so that he could focus only on baseball. Naturally, they were the first to report on their son's call-up news.

Lee Jun-woo said, "My parents are both from Busan, so they didn't say much. My father just said, 'Congratulations,' and my mother said, 'Good job. This is the beginning,'" and he also shared a pleasant episode, "Actually, I just said, 'I'm going up tomorrow' when I told the news." On the outside, they were my parents, but they were happier than anyone else. Not long ago, I went back to Busan after watching all three consecutive Gocheok Sky Dome games against Hanwha. "He didn't say much even when I saw him. I just ate meat, and I said, 'Mom, I'll go'" was also added as a bonus.
The presence of friends as well as family members helped me greatly. I have always been with my best friends who have played baseball together since I was an elementary school student in Busan. "I am still best friends with Joo Hyung and Kim Seung Il from Hanwha, and Choi Jong In and Lee Min Seok from Doosan, who are middle school classmates. I talk to them in group chat every day," he said. "When I was preparing for the enlistment, they told me not to give up and let's do it until the end and not to play. It's all thanks to my friends."

"When did Joo Hyung get tested in our team, he told me that he didn't believe it." All my friends in the chat room said, "My MBTI is T. My friends liked it, but they calmly said, 'I can't get sick anymore. I need to improve my skills.' Fortunately, I'm also a T, so it's okay because everyone reacted the same way," smiling.

All that's left is to move on. "I don't remember anything about my first appearance as I was nervous, but I got better after taking the mound two or three times. I'm getting used to it and I have more time to think about what to do on the mound. "I can enjoy the atmosphere more," he said. "I don't have a brilliant goal.