SSG Baseball Team Terminates Contract with Coach Kim Won-hyung
The SSG baseball team made a significant decision on the 31st as they announced the termination of coach Kim Won-hyung’s contract. This decision follows the team’s disappointing performance in this year’s professional baseball semifinals, where they lost all three games to NC. The termination can be seen as a form of resignation, indicating the need for change and innovation within the team.
Coach Kim, a former star player of the SK franchise, had been with SSG since 2021. During his tenure, he managed to lead the team to a remarkable turnaround, going from 9th place in the 2020 season to 6th place in his first year and ultimately securing 1st place in the regular season and winning the Korea Series in his second year. However, this season’s performance did not live up to the previous year’s success. Despite initially showing promise, the team faced a decline in strength and eventually dropped to 6th place at one point. Criticism was also directed at the team’s failure to initiate a generational change, with concerns over the aging batting lineup. Although they managed to secure a place in the playoffs, they were eliminated early in the semi-finals, losing all three games to NC.
The decision to terminate Coach Kim’s contract came as a surprise, as the team had been preparing for the upcoming season. Coach Kim himself expressed his gratitude to the players for their hard work and acknowledged the bitter taste of defeat in this year’s fall baseball. However, SSG’s management took a firm stance by parting ways with the coach. The team emphasized that the termination was not based on performance alone, but rather resulted from an internal review that highlighted the need for change and innovation in various aspects of the team’s management, including player composition, generational change, team management, and overall game strategies. SSG reassured that they would promptly select a new manager who aligns with the team’s vision and goals.
SSG, which ended the season by losing all three games to NC in this year’s professional baseball semifinals, terminated its contract with coach Kim Won-hyung (51). It’s almost resignation.
Former SSG coach Wonhyeong Kim. /Song Jeong-heon, Chosun Sports Reporter
On the 31st, the SSG baseball team parted ways with Coach Kim, saying, “We decided that change and innovation were necessary, including general team management and replacement of player production,” and “Change was inevitable in order to renew the team and transform it. into a stronger, more beloved team.” officially announced.
Director Kim is a former star of the SK franchise, the predecessor of SSG. He first played for Ssangbangwool in 1991 and played for SK from 2000, when the team disbanded, until he retired in 2011.
He took charge of the team as SSG’s first coach in 2021. In his first year in the job, the team rose from 9th place in the 2020 season to 6th place, and last year, in his second year, came 1st of the first position. day to day ‘Never quit’ set record for combined wins (1st place in regular season and won Korea Series).
Former SSG coach Won-hyung Kim gives his thoughts immediately after confirming last year’s Korea Series championship. /News 1
However, this season did not show baseball as strong as last year. Although he kept the lead at the start of the season, he lost strength in the middle and at one point dropped to 6th place. They were also criticized for failing to deliver a ‘generational change’, saying that the overall batting line-up was getting old. Then, at the last minute, they showed incredible concentration and finished the regular season in 3rd place, going straight to the play-offs. However, in the semi-finals (best of 5 games), they folded early by losing all 3 games, including 2 at home, to NC.
It was a sudden dismissal. SSG was preparing for the last camp, looking forward to next year. After finishing Game 3 of the semi-playoffs against NC on the 25th, Coach Kim also said, “I want to say to this year’s players, ‘Thank you for your hard work.’ We won last year, but this year we had the bitter taste of defeat in fall baseball. “I will prepare well once again,” he said. He signed a contract extension in November last year for a total of 2.2 billion won for three years.
The 3rd semi-PO match between SSG and NC was held at NC Park in Changwon on the 25th. SSG coach Kim Won-hyung, who suffered three consecutive defeats and was blocked from advancing to the playoffs, gives an interview to the losing team. /Jung Jae-geun, Chosun Sports Reporter
However, SSG took a very strong stand by sacking the manager. According to SSG, it was decided to fire Coach Kim internally yesterday, and at around 12 PM on this day, General Manager Kim Seong-yong personally met and delivered the news.
SSG said he was not fired because of grades. One of the SSG officials said, “We thank the coach for his contributions to the team over the past three years and we are very sorry for making this decision,” but added, “I can assure you that it is not the contract is terminated due to grades. After the post season ended, an intensive internal review took place. I believed that change and innovation were necessary for a team to continuously develop. “In the beginning, we focused on the composition of the players and the coaching staff for the composition of the team, generational change, team management, and overall game management, but we also moved on to replace the manager,” he explained. He added, “We will select (the next manager) quickly by setting standards that match the team’s position and executive direction.”
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