The professional baseball SSG Landers has come under scrutiny for bringing back former members who left the team amidst negative controversies.

SSG has suffered from issues related to personnel this winter. On December 31 of last year, the appointment of former commentator Park Jeong-tae as the Futures manager sparked controversy. As soon as the news of Park's appointment was announced, opposition among fans grew. This was because Park had been away from the field since 2012, and in 2019, he caused a scandal by driving under the influence and interfering with bus operations.

Additionally, the fact that Park Jeong-tae is the uncle of Choo Shin-soo, who serves as the team owner’s assistant and oversees training, also contributed to the controversy. There were naturally suspicions that Park was appointed as the SSG Futures manager due to the influence of Choo Shin-soo. Ultimately, Park submitted his resignation on January 24, putting the controversy to rest for the time being.

However, it has recently come to light that Park Jeong-tae has not completely left the organization, reigniting the controversy. Shortly after resigning, he took on the role of a club advisor. SSG has decided to work with Advisor Park again through an external commissioning contract.

An SSG official noted, "Advisor Park Jeong-tae has not returned as an internal member of the organization. There are clear differences between the contract type, welfare, and formal contracts versus external commissioning contracts." However, from an outside perspective, it is true that an individual who resigned under pressure from fan opposition is once again working with the club, making the distinction between formal contracts and commissioned contracts appear insignificant. There were also voices within the SSG organization expressing such opinions, but ultimately, the contract with Advisor Park was enforced.

This is not the first time SSG has ignited controversy over personnel issues. On November 22, 2023, during the second draft, the team failed to include franchise star Kim Kang-min on the protected player list, leading to his transfer to Hanwha. As a result, Kim Seong-yong, the former Director General who had to take responsibility and step down, recently returned as the Head of Team for scouting, leading to another controversy.

It is indeed a rare occurrence for Kim Seong-yong, who had served as Director General, to return as the Head of Team for scouting. SSG is currently renewing its Futures team development system and infrastructure. This project aims to build a team capable of achieving good results in the long term, ahead of the opening of Cheongna Dome, scheduled for 2028. Head of Team Kim Seong-yong is expected to play a role in helping SSG establish this development system.

Head of Team Kim Seong-yong has also achieved some level of success in the amateur scouting area. From SSG's perspective, the organization may have highly valued Kim's capabilities, resulting in his appointment as the Head of Team for scouting. However, given the already negative public sentiment and controversy surrounding the return of individuals who had left the team, it is not hard to predict how fans will react.

The return of Advisor Park Jeong-tae and Head of Team Kim Seong-yong is certainly news that will provoke backlash among SSG fans. This behavior may inevitably give the impression that the organization is disregarding fans' opinions. While SSG is currently aware of the negative sentiment, the plan is to maintain the current personnel for now. It remains to be seen what actions SSG will take following this disappointing news for fans.

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