Kiwoom Heroes interim manager Seol Jong-jin urged players to play baseball desperately.
On the 15th, Seol Jong-jin led the team's training at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, marking his first official schedule as the interim manager.
Kiwoom announced on the 14th that they had notified "manager Hong Won-ki, Director General Ko Hyung-wook, and head coach Kim Chang-hyun of their dismissal from their positions." They made the bold decision to replace the manager, Director General, and head coach before the second half of the season. Interim manager Seol Jong-jin from the second team takes on the role of interim manager, and Heo Seung-pil, operations team leader, was appointed as the Director General. The position of head coach will remain vacant for the rest of the season.
Since finishing second in the 2022 Korean Series, Kiwoom has remained at the bottom of the league for two consecutive years. This season, they finished the first half at the bottom of the league with a record of 27 wins, 3 ties, and 61 losses, achieving a winning percentage of .307, the lowest in the franchise's history.
In an interview on the 15th, interim manager Seol Jong-jin said, "I feel a lot of pressure and responsibility," adding, "This change is ultimately due to our poor performance. We finished the first half with a winning percentage of about .300, and we aim for a winning percentage of between .400 and .500 in the remaining games. To achieve that, we need strategy and a spirit of sacrifice, so I want to emphasize those aspects to the players."
"There may be issues with foreign players or the starting rotation, but it seems that the strategic baseball and aggressive play have not been effective," interim manager Seol Jong-jin diagnosed the reasons for the first-half struggles, adding, "That said, we are not a team that hits significantly more home runs either. Statistically, we have the lowest on-base percentage in the league. And our batting average with runners in scoring position is also the lowest. We could not score even when we had opportunities."
"From my observation, since the team's performance was poor, it seemed that the players' morale was down," interim manager Seol Jong-jin stated. "Personally, I don't feel that our professional baseball players possess the sense of urgency they should have. I asked them in a team meeting to feel that urgency and to play hard for the organization and the fans in the second half." In this context, he presented playing aggressively and strategic baseball as methods for Kiwoom's resurgence in the second half.
Given the current situation, it is difficult for Kiwoom to make dramatic changes to their roster. Interim manager Seol Jong-jin said, "The roster may change by one or two players, but I believe the core players are likely to remain the same. I will consult with the coaching staff, but we will not make significant changes from the start. Rather than altering the roster, I think it is better to provide feedback on why certain players are not performing well before making any judgments," indicating that the main roster will not change significantly.
Since it is difficult to change the composition of the players, it is essential to maximize the performance of the players currently on the roster. Interim manager Seol Jong-jin explained, "We should try things we haven't done before," stating, "Our stolen base success rate is around 80%, but that's primarily because we haven't run much. So if we can run more, we will attempt to do so. Early in the game, we might have a bunt sign or a run-and-hit strategy."
Regarding the ace Ahn Woo-jin, who is about to return after completing military service as a social service agent, interim manager Seol Jong-jin said, "I saw (Ahn) Woo-jin once in the Futures team. His arrival will not significantly change anything. He can join in mid-September, which means he might pitch in one or two games. That won't have a major impact on the team's strength. If he pitches, it will be more to evaluate his condition for next year."
"Please wait and see," interim manager Seol Jong-jin vowed to make a comeback in the second half, saying, "A significant change won't happen overnight, but there will be small changes in terms of playing more and implementing strategies compared to the first half."
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