ARLINGTON, Texas — Monday marks mission accomplished for Dae-Ho Lee, who will realize his dream of playing on a big-league club after amassing a long list of accomplishments over the past 15 years in Korea and Japan.
“I feel very happy, but this has just started,” he said Sunday prior to the Mariners’ workout at Globe Life Park. “I want to show everything that I have.
“Even though I’ve played for a long time, it feels like I just got promoted from Korea to the major leagues.”
Lee learned last week that he had made the club, but it’s starting to sink in as he sits in front of his locker in the visitor’s clubhouse and has a new but familiar number: 10. He wore No. 56 in spring training.
“I’ve played the last 16 years in the Korean league and Japan with that number,” he said. “And I like No. 10.”
Lee, 33, is slotted for platoon duty at first base; he’ll play primarily against left-handed starters, although manager Scott Servais said Adam Lind, a left-handed hitter, will start Monday’s season opener against Texas lefty Cole Hamels.
“We’re going to see a lot of left-handed pitching,” Servais said. “Four of our first six are against lefties. So (Lind) will get some starts against lefties.
“But once you get into the normal flow of the season, and you’re not getting quite that many (left-handed opponents), then you’ll probably see a little more of a straight platoon.”
Lee is scheduled to start Tuesday, in the season’s second game, against Rangers left-hander Martin Perez.
“Obviously, the bat will tell the story here,” Servais said. “Is (Lee) going to be able to handle the left-handed pitching in this league, which is pretty good — especially in our division? We’ll see. He’s going to get plenty of opportunity.”
Club officials still aren’t completely convinced Lee can handle big-league pitching. While he batted .264 in 24 spring games, he has just one homer and seven RBI in 53 at-bats. His slugging percentage was just .396.
“It wasn’t like he just lit it up all spring, obviously,” Servais noted. “The one thing about Dae-Ho as you looked throughout the spring, just as you’d think things were going to fall apart, he did something to keep you interested.
“He’d look not-so good on the first couple of strikes, and then they’d hang a breaking ball, and he knocks the crap out of it. His ability to make adjustments was pretty good throughout the course of an at-bat.
“There will be adjustments that will need to be made as the season goes on for him to survive and be part of what we’re doing here.”
The Mariners, by keeping Lee, simply just gave him more time to prove himself. He is on a standard contract, which means he can be optioned to the minors at any point. Whether he would accept such a demotion is an open question.
For now, though, opportunity beckons — the cherished opportunity for Lee to prove he can play in the big leagues.
“I was a veteran before,” he admitted, “but I’m a rookie now.”
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