Could the professional baseball Kiwoom Heroes successfully manage the chaotic team situation and rebound in the second half?
Kiwoom has recently been caught in a whirlwind. On the 14th, it announced that it had notified Manager Hong Won-ki, Director General Ko Hyung-wook, and Senior Coach Kim Chang-hyun of their dismissal, shocking everyone. Ahead of the second half, the manager leading the team and the senior coach, along with the director general leading the team, have all stepped down.
Acting Manager Seol Jong-jin, who must stabilize the chaotic team, led the team training held at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 15th, fulfilling his first official schedule. In that day's interview, he shared his feelings about taking on the acting manager position, stating, "I'm feeling a lot of pressure and a sense of responsibility." He continued, "This change is ultimately due to poor performance. We finished the first half with a winning percentage of about .300, but we're aiming for a winning percentage of around .400 to .500 in the remaining games. For that, strategies and a spirit of sacrifice are necessary, so I want to urge the players on these points."
Since finishing as runners-up in the 2022 Korean Series, Kiwoom has remained at the bottom of the league in both 2023 (58 wins, 3 draws, 83 losses, winning percentage .411) and 2024 (58 wins, 86 losses, winning percentage .403). With Lee Jung-hoo and Kim Hye-seong entering Major League Baseball, and ace Ahn Woo-jin undergoing Tommy John surgery (elbow ligament reconstruction) while serving in alternative military duty, there has been a continued exodus of talent. Ahead of this season, Kiwoom chose not to renew contracts with Ariel Hurado (Samsung) and Emmanuel De Jesus (KT), ultimately leading to another weakening of the team's strength.
In this situation, Kiwoom is once again facing the crisis of finishing the season at the bottom of the league. With a record of 27 wins, 3 draws, and 61 losses for a winning percentage of .307, they are overwhelmingly at the bottom of the league. They are performing poorly, with a gap of 10.5 games from 9th place Doosan (36 wins, 3 draws, 49 losses, winning percentage .424). The winning percentage of .307 is the lowest in the club's history.
To overcome this situation, Kiwoom decided to dismiss the manager, director general, and senior coach. They plan to start preparations early for a rebound in the next season. New Director General Heo Seung-pil said, "This year, my goal is to finish the season with as many wins as possible in the remaining season. I believe our top priority is to show fans that we can rebound in the remaining season and next year."
Acting Manager Seol Jong-jin also emphasized the importance of rebounding in the second half, stating, "First, we need to revitalize the atmosphere. Let's not lose embarrassingly even if we lose. We want to try everything we can. I want to give it a good go. It's not just for me to get good evaluations. If the players become too accustomed to losing, they might give up. I want to create an atmosphere where we don’t give up and do our best until the end." The goal that Acting Manager Seol Jong-jin has proposed is to achieve a winning percentage of .400 to .500 in the second half.
However, it is not easy for Kiwoom to dramatically rebound right now. Although the starting rotation has barely stabilized, there is a growing possibility that Lachlan Wells, who is a replacement foreign pitcher for Kenny Rosenberg's injury, may be unable to convert to a formal contract due to personal circumstances, and they are currently searching for a new foreign pitcher. The performance of Ruben Cardenas, who is returning from injury, cannot be guaranteed either. With limited reinforcements returning from injury, it is difficult to expect a dramatic increase in strength without external recruitment.
Acting Manager Seol Jong-jin stated, "That's why we need to try what we haven't tried before," suggesting a strategy-focused game and an active game as solutions. He explained, "We have a success rate of about 80% in stolen bases, but we actually don’t run much. So if we can run more, we want to try that a lot. Bunting signs could go out from the early stages of the game, or we could use strategy signs like run-and-hit."
Making a radical choice, Kiwoom has hinted at another change in the second half. Realistically, the challenge for fall baseball has become difficult, and Kiwoom needs to show fans a picture they can look forward to for next season. The focus is on managing foreign player variables rather than raising overall strength, and it remains to be seen whether Kiwoom can create the turnaround that meets expectations.
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