Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung wears a hat received from Lotte Giants CEO Lee Kang-hoon during his inauguration ceremony at Lotte Hotel Busan in Busanjin-gu, Busan, on Oct. 24.
Manager Kim Tae-hyung, who was officially inaugurated as the 21st manager of the Lotte Giants, promised “offensive baseball” and “winning” in his inaugural speech.
On October 24, Lotte held an inauguration ceremony for new manager Kim Tae-hyung at Lotte Hotel Busan in Busanjin-gu, Busan.
Earlier, Lotte announced on the 20th that it had signed a contract with Kim Tae-hyung for a three-year contract
period and a total of 2.4 billion won ($600,000 down payment and $600,000 annual salary).
After taking his first step as Lotte’s head coach, Kim said, “I’m excited and looking forward to it. I am very
grateful to the Lotte team, the owner, and most importantly, the Lotte fans for choosing me as the manager of the baseball city of Busan.”
Kim said, “Nothing goes as planned. You have to make it up as you go along,” he said, adding, “The existing Lotte
is passionate. I want to play aggressive, fiery offensive baseball, and baseball that can strike when it has a chance.”
The goal is to win. “It’s not easy to win, but it’s possible if everyone works together,” he said, emphasizing, “First,
we want to aim for the postseason, and then the championship. I hope the players have a good mindset.”
New Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung answers questions from the media during his inauguration ceremony
at Lotte Hotel Busan in Busanjin-gu, Busan, on Oct. 24.
-How does he feel about taking over?
▶I’m excited and looking forward to it. I have been appointed as the new manager of Lotte in the baseball city of
Busan. I’ll talk about my future plans later, but for now, I’m very excited. I would like to express my sincere
gratitude to the Lotte organization, owner Shin Dong-bin, and most importantly, the Lotte fans for choosing me.
-On what kind of baseball he wants to show at Lotte.
Nothing in the world goes according to plan. I’ve seen the existing players outside, but you have to feel and judge
for yourself through training. The existing Lotte and Busan fans are passionate. I want to play aggressive, hot,
offensive baseball and be able to drive in runs when I have the chance.
-Is there any pressure on you since you came to Lotte as a winner?
All new managers have pressure when they take over. It’s because you have to do better than your previous
performance. I feel a strong sense of responsibility rather than pressure.
-What are the strengths and weaknesses of Lotte that you’ve observed while commentting on TV?
Lotte players are passionate. I don’t think it’s a disadvantage because it’s the responsibility of the players and the
coaching staff to win or lose a game. Because they are passionate, they have the confidence to perform well with good players.
-What would you like to emphasize to the LOTTE players?
▶You’ve heard the same thing every time there’s a new manager. ‘Team comes first’ is something that doesn’t need to be said. Whether it’s an individual disappointment or a team disappointment, the players know it well. It’s important to get to know your players and talk to them about what they’re feeling and make sure they’re moving in the right direction.
-If there’s a player you’ve got your eye on or are excited about.
I know the existing players to a certain extent. I’ve heard there are some good rookies and I haven’t seen any of the veterans yet. I haven’t seen any good prospects from the Futures League, so I need to see those players as well. I’m curious about the players that are being talked about. I’ll keep an eye on them.
-There is a lot of talk about the coaching staff, do you have any ideas?
The first-team coaching staff is almost finalized, but it is difficult to announce it now. Some of the coaches have not reported to the club, so you will have to wait a little longer.
-What would you like to say to LOTTE’s free agents as the Stobrigue starts soon?
I would like to tell the players (Kim Won-joong, Jeon Jun-woo, Koo Seung-min, and Ahn Chi-hong) to stay in the team and help me. As a coach, the more players you have, the better and greedy you are. I told the president that I need those players.
-On the difference between his leadership at Dusan and his leadership as head coach of Lotte.
Nine years have passed, and the mentality of the young players might be different now. Everything has changed. But baseball is still the same. The passion of the players on the field is the same, so the mainstay of the team has to be the leader. Everything changes depending on the situation, so I think the most important leadership is for the coaching staff to react quickly.
-Lotte fans must be thirsty for a championship, but what is your goal?
Winning a championship is no one’s child’s name and it’s not easy, but it’s possible if the players work together. When I was a rookie coach, I said I wanted to win the championship without fear, and I’ll say it again here. I want the players to have a good mindset and be determined. First, we will aim for the postseason, and then the championship. I will try to work well with the players so that we can become a strong team. 카지노사이트존