"We are continuously checking what is lacking for Doosan."

The Doosan Bears are preparing for their 9th match of the season against the Kiwoom Heroes in the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 13th.

Doosan has established the starting lineup of Jeong Soo-bin (center fielder), Oh Myeong-jin (third baseman), Yang Eui-ji (catcher), Kim Jae-hwan (left fielder), Kim Dong-jun (designated hitter), Jake Cave (right fielder), Lee Yoo-chan (shortstop), Kim Min-seok (first baseman), and Kang Seung-ho (second baseman) to face Kiwoom's starting pitcher Raul Alcantara. The starting pitcher is Choi Seung-yong.

The first-team roster will call up outfielder Jo Soo-hyung and infielder Kang Seung-ho, while outfielder Kim Dae-han is being sent down. Jo Soo-hyung and Kang Seung-ho have completed their adjustments in the second team, and Kim Dae-han will spend time regrouping after underperforming with a batting average of .200, 1 home run, and 1 RBI in 12 games this season.

Starting pitcher Choi Seung-yong has a season record of 12 games, 3 wins, 4 losses, and an earned run average of 4.20. He became the losing pitcher in his most recent appearance against the Lotte Giants on the 7th, where he pitched 6 innings and allowed 6 runs. He is currently in a streak of 5 consecutive games without a win and 3 straight losses, having last won on May 3 against the Daegu Samsung Lions.

This year, against Kiwoom, Doosan has faced bad luck with a record of 2 losses and an earned run average of 4.15, without a win in 3 games. On April 2 at Jamsil, despite a quality start allowing 3 runs in 6 innings, he finished without a decision. On the 22nd at Gocheok, he allowed 4 runs in 5 innings, and again at Gocheok on June 1, he became the losing pitcher after allowing 1 run in 6⅓ innings.

Doosan has struggled with a record of 2 wins and 7 losses since the appointment of acting manager Jo Sung-hwan. After facing the KIA Tigers (June 3-5) and the Lotte Giants (June 6-8) in home series and losing both, they moved to Daejeon where they were swept by the Hanwha Eagles (June 10-12). Currently in a 5-game losing streak, Doosan is positioned 9th in the season standings with a record of 25 wins, 3 ties, and 39 losses.

The following is a Q&A session with acting manager Jo Sung-hwan.

- Reason for calling up Jo Soo-hyung and Kang Seung-ho

Jo Soo-hyung was already considering a call-up today, and although I was thinking of giving Kang Seung-ho a bit more time, a spot opened up with the absence of Choi Won-jun, so I called him up quickly. As I mentioned on the first day of my appointment, we are lacking core players in the team. We need players who can play intermediate roles within the team. And those players must fulfill those roles. Of course, it would be great if they also deliver results, but I hope the senior players will take care of the juniors as well.

- What technical changes were made for Kang Seung-ho?

One of the first symptoms of a prolonged slump is an inability to differentiate between strikes and balls. Both Cave and our batters, in general, have a high rate of swings at pitches outside the ABS zone. This results in a decrease in contact rate and lowers the in-play rate. For any action to occur, the pitches we hit must be in the field, and as that probability diminishes, our scoring ability drops in a vicious cycle. I continue to emphasize this aspect to players like Kang Seung-ho and Cave, who need to hold their ground.

- What conversations did you have with the two players?

I briefly talked with them in the room. They mentioned that they had been filling the ten days well and preparing hard. In particular, Kang Seung-ho has likely made some technical adjustments. I saw today that there were signs of that. I asked Jo Soo-hyung to show a more proactive approach.

- Background of Kim Dae-han's move to the second team

I couldn't meet the player directly, but I conveyed my message through the coaches. There must have been pressure to deliver results in a short span. If he comes back up, it could be the same situation, and it’s difficult to keep giving opportunities without results. That is something we need to examine from a competitive standpoint. I hope he creates his own opportunities. If the judgment is that he is no longer suitable for the Futures League, then the only place he should be is on the first team. The team needs a right-handed outfielder in the long term. Kim Dae-han is a player that must be with us in any form. I urged him to do better.

- 2 wins and 7 losses in 9 games since coming on board

On days we win, time really flies, but on days we lose, it feels like 5 losses go by in just a few hours. I just breathed and ended up losing 5 times. I keep telling the players to stay strong while demanding an active attitude, but as we continue to lose, I find myself feeling a bit intimidated. Losing makes everything difficult. As I keep searching for reasons why we lost, it can overshadow the bad aspects when we win, and a mistake should act as motivation for changing confidence, but as the games pile up, it gets tough. We are continuously checking what we are lacking and what the players are doing well.

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