[Sportschosun, Kim So-hee] Former baseball player Lee Dae-ho revealed the story behind his generous dinner treat for younger players on the baseball team at his alma mater, Kyungnam High School, spending a total of about 28 million won.
On the 9th, the YouTube channel "Bread Unnie Kim Yeon-koung" released a video titled "Retired jersey number? Not just anyone can do that." The video showed sports legends Kim Yeon-koung and Lee Dae-ho meeting and talking about a wide range of topics.
That day, Lee introduced himself with his trademark wit, saying, "I used to be the fourth batter of Joseon, but these days I'm just Busan's uncle Lee Dae-ho." He then gave an update on his life, saying, "I'm running my own YouTube channel, I also did a baseball program where I played games with younger players, and I've been busy even recently coaching elementary school games."
When the production team asked, "We heard you celebrated your alma mater Gyeongnam High School's championship by treating them to 12 million won worth of Korean beef," Lee corrected them with a laugh, saying, "It was 14.6 million won." When Kim Yeon-koung reacted in surprise and asked, "How many people were there?" Lee replied, "Forty-something," drawing even more amazement.
The production team asked, "You both seem very interested in nurturing younger players, and you also take part in a variety of activities yourselves. Is there a reason you work so hard for your juniors?"
Lee replied, "It's not that I was trying to make an effort. It had been a long time since the Kyungnam High School guys won a major tournament. I thought, 'I should buy them a meal,' so I took them to a nice restaurant. I told them, 'Eat comfortably,' and they really did. After the dinner, I said, 'You did well. If you win again, I'll treat you again.' But they really did it again. They won twice in one year something that might happen only once in 10 years."
He added, "The first time, I treated them to beef, and the bill came to 14 million won. But a man can't cheap out and buy pork, can he? So I took them to a snow crab restaurant, and that bill also came to 14 million won. They ate well and were happy. If even one more of those kids succeeds because of what I do, wouldn't that be another way of showing a good example for the younger players? I think that's the kind of love that flows downward through generations. I felt proud even while buying them meals." He expressed his affection for the younger players.
Reporter Kim So-hee yaqqol@sportschosun.com
