‘Never Pitch Again!’ WINNER’s Lee Seung-hoon Faces Backlash from Baseball Fans Over Dance Performance

On August 28th, Lee Seung-hoon appeared as the ceremonial pitcher at the game between the Lotte Giants and Hanwha Eagles held at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Dongnae-gu, Busan. As a Busan native, Lee Seung-hoon energized the crowd by shouting, “Lotte’s winner has arrived. Victory Giants, make some noise!”

However, the excitement was short-lived. Before throwing the pitch, Lee Seung-hoon performed a part of the choreography from his first solo album’s title track, “MY TYPE,” which was released last month.

Despite catcher Son Seong-bin assuming the catching position twice, Lee Seung-hoon didn’t throw the ball and continued to dance, raising suspicions that the performance hadn’t been pre-arranged. Due to Lee Seung-hoon’s awkward pitch, Son Seong-bin had to chase the ball all the way to the net behind the dugout. Yet, Lee Seung-hoon appeared satisfied, which angered fans. Additionally, it was noted that Lotte’s starting pitcher, Charlie Barnes, had to readjust the mound before pitching, possibly due to the excessive performance.

Given that the game was a crucial match in the tight mid-standings battle against Hanwha, Lotte fans were particularly displeased. The situation was worsened by Lotte’s 7-0 loss, leaving fans disappointed.

Comments on the video of the pitch posted by Lee Seung-hoon on his social media included criticisms such as, “Why are you dancing on the mound? That’s inconsiderate,” “Never throw the first pitch at Sajik again. Pitches that disrupt the game are against the rules, and you should have known better. The baseball field is where the players are the main stars,” and “What do you think a ceremonial pitch is?” However, there were also supportive comments like, “Why blame the pitcher for the loss?” and “It was fun to watch. A cheerful ceremonial pitch.”

Source: Nate