South Korean baseball lover Lee Sung Woo is now famous among Kansas City Royals fans, as he is being credited for the team's latest winning streak (currently in first place in the AL Central and won 9 of last 10 games). He has the sports world in the States abuzz, with news stations like NBC (in the clip above) and even ESPN's 'SportsCenter' covering his story.
And boy, what a story! Lee Sung Woo has been a loyal fan of the Royals in Korea since the 1990s. While you would think most overseas fans would be drawn to winning teams of the 90's such as the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees, Lee Sung Woo says he preferred the underdog. He's a frequent poster on a website called Royals Corner, and on his Twitter, he shares his thoughts on each Royals baseball game despite having to stay up to late hours in South Korea to watch them. The Royals haven't been to the playoffs since 1985, and have had only one winning season during Lee's 17 years of fanboydom. But Lee has been optimistic and faithful, and when he was invited to fly over to Kansas City recently, the Royals rewarded him with much more than he ever expected.
The Royals allowed Lee to throw the ceremonial first pitch for a game, not once, but twice! They also gave him a tour of the Kauffman Stadium and gifted him with beer and a personalized Royals jersey. His presence was announced to the world via major news broadcasting outlets and social media. Fans were excited by his support. And when fans started linking Lee to the Royals winning streak, which picked up speed upon his arrival, Lee was heralded as a hero. The Royals further gifted him with baseballs signed by players Jeremy Guthrie and Billy Butler, arranged a meeting between him and player Danny Duffy, and had Royals Hall of Famer Frank White present him a commendation from the Jackson County Commission. Of course, in a city famous for its barbecue, he also got to try some delicious Kansas City BBQ.
Now that he is leaving, Royals fans are begging him via Twitter not to go, convinced that he is their good luck charm. And although Lee makes it apparent via teary emotes ("T_T") that he is also sad to go, he leaves making a great memory.
It's amazing how much Lee's loyalty has gotten him! To read more about him, make sure to check the New York Times for the full story.
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