The Kiwoom Heroes' "playing coach" Lee Yong-kyu (40) has been re-registered as a player.
Kiwoom registered outfielder Lee Yong-kyu after excluding pitcher Park Joo-sung from the first team roster on the 20th. In the game against Hanwha in Daejeon, which was canceled due to rain on the 21st, Lee was named the starting left fielder batting ninth.
Lee, who was removed from the roster after the game against Hanwha at Gocheok on the 10th of last month, has been committed to his role as a playing coach while moving with the first team. Lee has been helping with training by throwing batting balls while continuing to prepare as a player.
Kiwoom manager Hong Won-ki noted, "While leading the players well as a playing coach in the dugout, we have been training as if it were a real match. We needed a driving force to reinvigorate the team, so we registered him as a player and put his name in the lineup."
Lee Yong-kyu was appointed as a playing coach on April 18th. In a Kiwoom team with many inexperienced young players, he serves as a dugout leader and "mentor." On the 4th against Lotte at Sajik, he revived the stagnant team through a dugout meeting.
After finishing the fifth inning, Lee gathered the position players and said, "Look at how the team's reality is right now. See how things are going for the team," and strongly conveyed the message, "Are you hitting well? If not, at least get hit and get out."
Immediately after the meeting, Kiwoom, with Song Sung-moon's three-run homer in the sixth inning, turned the game around to win 9-6. Whether it was the effect of the meeting or not, the team successfully turned the atmosphere around, winning a season-high four consecutive games from that day until the 7th against LG at Gocheok.
Amid objective power disadvantages, Kiwoom is on a downward trend with a record of 1 win, 7 losses, and 1 tie over the last 9 games. During this period, while the team's earned run average ranks 7th (4.61) as the pitchers hold up decently, the team batting average is 10th (.195), averaging only 2.2 runs per game. In this situation where the batting lineup is completely blocked, manager Hong Won-ki hopes that "player Lee Yong-kyu" will find a way to break through.
On the other hand, right-handed pitcher Park Joo-sung, who pitched 5 innings allowing 5 hits (1 home run), 2 walks, 1 strikeout, and 1 run against SSG at Gocheok on the 19th, will be rotating in the Futures team for the time being. As foreign pitcher Lachlan Wells, a temporary replacement for Kenny Rosenberg's injury, is scheduled to enter the starting rotation starting from the game against KIA at Gocheok on the 25th, temporary starter Park Joo-sung will be removed from the roster.
Manager Hong Won-ki explained, "If Wells pitches normally on the 25th, all the starting spots will be full. Park showed notable pitching the other day, and we can call him up when we need a replacement starter next time. He will go to the second team games and prepare."
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