Although anger surged instantly at the check swing call, Jo Seong-hwan maintained his composure and appealed the decision, which is not typical for someone who has just taken the helm. A phrase from his former mentor, Jerry Royster, during his playing days greatly helped with this anger suppression.
On the 5th, Doosan Bears acting manager Jo Seong-hwan faced his first check swing call decision during the KIA Tigers game at Jamsil, just three days into his managerial tenure.
The controversy arose in the bottom of the 4th inning, with Doosan leading 1-0 and one out with runners on second and third. Pinch hitter Kim In-tae stepped to the plate with a ball count of 2B-2S, but the home plate umpire called a strike on his check swing at a dropping 134 km changeup from KIA starter Kim Do-hyun. Kim In-tae, having held back his swing, wore a frustrated expression and remained at the plate for a while, ultimately leading Jo Seong-hwan to come out onto the field and appeal the call to the umpire. On the replay screen, Kim's bat appeared very close to a no swing.
The next day, acting manager Jo Seong-hwan expressed to reporters, "I feel quite disappointed. Other team managers feel the same disappointment. Of course, the umpires also try their best to focus and make fair calls, but yesterday was disappointing."
Equally captivating as the incorrect calls was the way Jo Seong-hwan lodged his protests. Despite the potential frustrations of a player being called out unfairly, he calmly walked onto the field in a composed manner to appeal the decision to the umpire. The head umpire also engaged with Jo in a calm manner, and the situation was resolved without any disputes or ejections.
Jo Seong-hwan remarked, "In that moment, I recalled something Coach Royster said in the past. When there is an incorrect call, he mentioned that 'the efforts of the players could be overlooked.' I wanted to rush out, but I told the umpire, 'We worked really hard to prepare, and we have a really good opportunity here, so please focus a bit more. This is a really precious chance, and I hope there won't be any hard feelings between us. Please ensure a fair call with focus.'"
Despite the appeal from the acting manager, Doosan was almost victim to another incorrect check swing call on the 6th against Lotte at Jamsil. After one out in the top of the 4th, Jeon Min-jae was at bat with Doosan leading 2-0. The first base umpire called a no swing on Jeon Min-jae's check swing against a high cutter (142 km) from Doosan starter Jack Log. The replay confirmed that Jeon Min-jae's bat had crossed the home plate, but he successfully reached base and advanced to second due to a throwing error by the third baseman. Fortunately, Doosan ended the inning without conceding any runs.
The following day, Jo Seong-hwan said, "I was disappointed with the call again, but every time, it seems unfair to blame the umpires, as we also struggle together. It seems that senior managers are stressed out because of it these days." He shared his plan, stating, "I can cautiously say that while it won't be easy to overturn, if we believe there is a chance to correct something, we will actively intervene for the sake of preventing recurrence."
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