[주장] 40-year-old Lee Dae-ho’s jackpot contract, the responsibility left behind

▲ Lee Dae Ho Ⓒ Lotte Giants

Lotte Giants’ fourth hitter Lee Dae-ho recently signed a second free agency contract with the club. On the 29th, Lotte announced that it had signed an FA contract with Daeho Lee for a total of 2.6 billion won for two years (a contract fee of 800 million won, an annual salary of 800 million won, and a winning option of 100 million won each year). Given the age of Lee Dae-ho, born in 82, it can be said that it is a contract that actually means ending his career at Lotte.

Lee Dae-ho, who wore a Lotte uniform in the second round in 2001, was a one-clubman who played 15 seasons only in Lotte in the KBO League, except for the 5 seasons he played in Japan and the United States. His career performance was a batting average of 0.309, 332 homers, and 1243 RBIs in 1715 matches, and he is evaluated as one of the best hitters of all time, counted in Lotte history as well as in Korean professional baseball.

Although Lee Dae-ho’s stay in Lotte was predominantly predicted, negotiations were unexpectedly sluggish. It is known that there was not a small difference in opinion between Ye-woo as a front hitter and Lee Dae-ho, who wants a long-term contract, and the club, who had to make a realistic evaluation. It was Lee Dae-ho, who still showed outstanding skills and grades even at a not small age, but it was a stumbling block that the signs of’aging curve’ were clearly appearing because the passage of time could not be deceived.

As negotiations seldom progressed until the end of January, some voices of concern were raised. Fortunately, it is said that the turning point was when Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin, the owner of the baseball team, who has a deep love for the baseball team, instructed to honor Lee Dae-ho at the parent company level.

The condition of 2.6 billion won in two years, when the two sides finally reached an agreement after consideration, can be said to be the highest level of large-scale contracts for players entering their 40s. Based on the same age, another KBO league legend, Lee Seung-yeop, signed in 2016, just before retirement from Samsung, was less than 3.6 billion won in two years, but in 2014, LG Lee Byung-gyu (3 years 2.55 billion won) and 2019 LG Park Yong-taek. It is ahead of (2.5 billion won for 2 years).

Lee Dae-ho’s contract leaves a number of things to think about in light of the culture and reality of the Korean baseball world. A cold wave has hit the baseball world due to the effects of the Corona 19 virus, and especially older veterans are having a harsher winter than ever. Tae-gyun Kim and Geun-woo Jung, who are the same age as Lee Dae-ho, have retired, and Shin-soo Choo in major league has not yet been able to find a team after the seven-year contract with Texas ended. In the midst of this, the existence of veterans who are recognized for their ability even when they are older, like Hyung-woo Choi and Dae-ho Lee, who signed a second free agency contract with KIA for 3 years at 4.7 billion won, is symbolic.

It is also remarkable that it issued an unusual clause called’winning option’. It is known that Lee Dae-ho has signed an option under the condition of donating 100% of the 100% of the KRW 100 million received when winning the team to the underprivileged. Lotte was no longer at the top after winning the Korean Series in 1992. Lee Dae-ho had won several championships during the days of the national team and the Japanese Softbank, but there was no relationship with the championship in the KBO league. It is also the wish of both Lee Dae-ho and Lotte to want to retire from active duty honorably after winning the Korean Series within two years of the contract period.

On the one hand, I can’t help but think about the weight of responsibility that comes with the backside of the jackpot contract. In fact, Lee Dae-ho had an uneven time since the end of last year. Lee Dae-ho, who was the chairman of the Athletes Association, was caught up in a controversy over the cost of pangong and resigned in disgrace. The disappointment that fans felt was even greater because Lee Dae-ho was a symbolic star representing the professional baseball world.

In addition, the FA contract was much later than expected, and there was a lot of attention that Lee Dae-ho was greedy about the size of the contract. Lee Dae-ho’s position is that the negotiating table with the club was set up late rather than a matter of money, and the news was delayed due to coordination of various conditions such as retirement time.

Fans’ perspectives on Lee Dae-ho’s contract terms are mixed. Considering the symbolism and team contribution as a major hitter, some responded that the courtesy of that degree is natural, but on the other hand, there is an objection that excessive treatment is inappropriate for players coming down from their heyday. Lee Dae-ho returned to Lotte after completing his overseas career in 2017 and received super premium treatment of 15 billion won over four years. At the time, Lee Dae-ho had many options, and considering the market value, there was strong consensus that it deserved that degree in Korea.

However, to put it coldly, it is difficult to say that Lee Dae-ho has shown performance worthy of the ransom over the past four years. It was still good in terms of classic stats, but in the last two years, the influence of the changed ball and the decline in physical ability were noticeable, and compared to the name value, it did not contribute enough to the team victory. The team also failed to advance to fall baseball except for the first year of Lee Dae-ho’s return.

FA is an investment that reflects expectations for future performance, not a player’s name value or consolation for past careers. Even in the major leagues, which say that there are more large-scale malicious contracts than the KBO league, the criteria for evaluating high-paid workers are colder. Words such as’Pride’ and’Face’ that frequently appear in Eastern culture are clearly affecting the business contract between the player and the club.

Currently, professional baseball is suffering from a chronic deficit. The incident that SK, a conglomerate with solid finances, recently abandoned the operation of the baseball team and sold it to Shinsegae E-Mart, which shocked baseball fans. Nevertheless, the ransom of the star players is still soaring, and the bubble controversy continues.

For Lotte, it can be said that it was a choice that took considerable risks for the pride and face of the star. If Lee Dae-ho’s determination to sacrifice for the championship and the team is sincere, it is time to show more responsibility to prove it with action on the ground for the remaining two years.

☞ Sports news with perspective, go to’Omy Sports’ Facebook