Slugger Lee Dae-ho hits 300th career home run

Published : May 8, 2015 - 20:30 Updated : May 8, 2015 - 20:58

Slugger Lee Dae-ho, playing for the Softbank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), hit his 300th career home run on Friday to become the second South Korean baseball player to achieve the honor in two leagues.

Starting as the designated hitter at a home game against the Rakuten Eagles at Yahoo Auctions Dome in Fukuoka, Lee slammed a solo homer off starter Kenny Ray in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game at 1-1.

It was also his eighth homer of the season.

Lee, 32, hit 225 home runs for the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in 11 seasons, and has added 75 more in the NPB since 2012.

He is the second South Korean to hit 300 home runs both in the KBO and NPB, following Lee Seung-yeop of the Samsung Lions, who has recorded a combined 556 homers since 1995.

Lee Dae-ho won two batting Triple Crowns in South Korea, as well as a player of the year award in 2010.

He hit 48 homers for the Osaka-based Orix Buffaloes in 2012 and 2013 and moved to the Eagles in 2014.

(Yonhap)