SF Giants players and executives embarked on a goodwill tour of South Korea led by Giants center fielder Jung Hoo Lee, bolstering the team’s visibility in Asia and showing support for Lee, a fan favorite — who was briefly detained at LAX upon arrival back in the US this week.
As the Chronicle reports, San Francisco Giants center fielder Jung Hoo Lee was held for about four hours at Los Angeles International Airport Wednesday evening due to missing paperwork on his return to the US from South Korea. Per the Chronicle, Lee was released fairly quickly with the help of Giants officials, Lee's agent Scott Boras, and Representative Nancy Pelosi’s office and was present at the Giants' FanFest event in San Ramon Saturday.
“Obviously, a bit hectic the last few days, but I’m glad everything’s worked out,” Lee said, with Giants’ ticketing associate Brian Kang interpreting, per Bay Area News Group. “I’m just glad it got resolved and I’m back with my teammates.”
Per Bay Area News Group, Lee, who’s in his third year on the team, hosted 17 members of the Giants team and management in South Korea earlier this month, including president of baseball operations Buster Posey, general manager Zack Minasian, new manager Tony Vitello, and shortstop Willy Adames.
As the New York Times reports, Lee gave his colleagues the VIP treatment during their visit, which included reservations to the coveted Silent Pig, tours of Namdaemun Market and Bukchon Hanok Village, a bibimbap cooking class with a celebrity chef, meetings with KBO officials and Korean sponsors, appearances at MLB Korea studios, and a baseball clinic at the LG Twins complex.
“He planned everything,” said Rachel Heit, the San Francisco Giants’ chief marketing officer. “He selected the restaurant, which is apparently impossible to get into. Kanye West made it very popular. We got a lot of street cred for getting that reservation.”
Per the Times, the goal of the trip was to rally around Lee while also expanding the Giants’ international presence.
“We are here to accomplish a few things: first and foremost, to show our support for Jung Hoo Lee, who has been an amazing host,” Heit told the Times.
Per the Times, despite missing most of his first year due to a dislocated shoulder, Lee has quickly become one of the team’s most popular players, with the Giants boasting a special “Jung Hoo Crew” section, brimming with earnest fans. Per the Times, about 80 percent of Giants games are televised in South Korea.
“You open your window shades, and there he is on a billboard for Tag Heuer watches,” Heit told the Times. “He’s the star of their campaign.”
Per the Chronicle, Lee is set to play with South Korea’s World Baseball Classic team this year and could face off with some of his Giants teammates on Team USA if South Korea advances to Tokyo.
Per the Times, Heit said Giants officials told Major League Baseball thed love to be part of a potential world tour program in South Korea.
“It’s pretty evident the support that the Giants have in my home country in South Korea,” Lee said, per Bay Area News Group. “It’s pretty cool to see the fans rallying around the team and getting excited about us over here in San Francisco. It’s really cool to see the Giants investing and putting a bigger focus in my home country, and I’m really excited to keep that momentum going.”
Image: From L to R: Willy Adames, Tony Vitello, Jung Hoo Lee/Major League Baseball
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