LG coach Lee Jong-beom talks to Hong Chang-ki and Park Hae-min./Chosun Sports Reporter Park Jae-man
After the ‘Kim Jong-guk incident’, KIA professional baseball is in turmoil. Director Kim Jong-guk (51), who was under investigation on charges of receiving kickbacks from sponsors, resigned. Aside from other internal campaigns and purge efforts, appointing a successor director is the first step. KIA placed 6th last season, but this year, it was evaluated as one of the top 3 along with LG and KT. There was talk that they could challenge to win the Korean Series for the first time in 7 years since 2017.
KIA entrusted the direction of the spring camp to head coach Jin Gap-yong (50). Spring camp is a period to draw up a blueprint for the team for a year after the coaching staff and players for one season have been completed. It’s hard to imagine spring training without a coach. The KIA team will train in Canberra, Australia until the 20th of this month, then move to Okinawa, Japan and hold the second spring camp from the 23rd to the 6th of next month. The club plans to complete the selection of a manager around the Lunar New Year holidays (9th to 12th) so that a new manager can lead the team from the start of the Okinawa camp at the latest. KIA general manager Shim Jae-hak said, “We are considering external recruitment and internal appointment,” and added, “We will not bring in a coach from another team.” This means that as other teams have also completed the formation of their coaching staff for this season, it is not ethical to pull them out suddenly.
Initially, candidates for the next KIA manager included Lee Jong-beom (54), former LG coach, Kim Won-hyeong (52), former SSG coach, and Lee Ho-jun (48), LG coach. Director Shim’s comments are interpreted to mean the exclusion of Coach Lee Ho-jun. All these three people are from Honam, KIA’s hometown.
The most talked about person inside and outside is former coach Lee Jong-beom. A graduate of Gwangju Jeil High School, one of KIA’s club heroes and the club’s ‘Seonggol’. For over 10 years, he was mentioned as a candidate every time KIA coach changed, but was never actually appointed. He has more than 10 years of coaching experience in Hanwha and LG, and will also serve as the second team coach of LG in 2022. Last season, Doosan coach Seung-yeop Lee took the helm without any coaching experience, so it is difficult call it an unconventional environment.
On the afternoon of the 25th, in the 3rd professional baseball game ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Postseason’ semi-playoff game between NC Dinos and SSG Landers held at NC Changwon Park in Yangdeok-dong, Masanhoewon-gu, Changwon-si , Gyeongsangnam -yes, the game between NC Dinos and SSG Landers with two outs and bases loaded in the top of the second inning. SSG manager Won-hyung Kim hit a bases-loaded home run. We are reaching our peak. 2023.10.25/News 1
Former coach Won-Hyung Kim never played for the Tigers during his active career, but is from Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do. Last year, SSG were suddenly relegated after being eliminated in the playoffs, and are currently in a bad position. He also has a history of leading SSG for three years and leading them to the Korea Series championship (2022). There is also the possibility of internal promotions for head coach Jin Gap-yong or hitting coach Lee Beom-ho (43). They have been trainers at KIA for more than three years, so they have the advantage of being able to control the current atmosphere of internal chaos. It is said that former FC coach Lee Dong-wook (50) is also being considered as a candidate. Jin Gap-yong and Lee Dong-wook are from Busan, and Lee Beom-ho is from Gyeongbuk. It is known that old officers like Kim Gyeong-moon (66) and Seon Dong-ryeol (61) are not considered within KIA.
Some are predicting that director Shim Jae-hak could take over as head coach. Although Director Shim is from Seoul (Chungam High School), he played as a player at KIA and has almost 10 years of experience as a coach, so he has qualifications.
Jin Gap-yong, head coach of KIA Tigers. /News 1
As well as appointing a manager, KIA is also concerned about the handling of sponsorship contracts with coffee companies which are said to have given bribes. This is because the contract is still legally valid, and the company’s store is scheduled to open at KIA Champions Field in Gwangju this March. They decided to open a shop by remodeling an empty warehouse space in the stadium and operate it as one of their profit-making businesses, but they have concerns as cases of accepting bribes come to light. The payment of the remainder of former manager Kim’s salary, who has a year left on his contract, is also unclear. The contract was terminated on grounds of conduct that undermined dignity, but according to the standard KBO (Korea Baseball Organization) contract for managers and coaches, if the club terminates the contract unilaterally, it must pay’ r salary for the rest of the period. On the other hand, if the manager or coach is disciplined by the club and the contract is terminated for obvious reasons attributable to the manager or coach, no payment is required. A KIA official said, “This is unprecedented, so we are reviewing various aspects.”
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