Lotte, which is preparing for the upcoming season under head coach Kim Tae-hyung, has dumped most of its coaching staff.
“We have decided not to re-sign eight coaches, including acting head coach Lee Jong-woon, Park Heung-sik, Jeon Jun-ho, Choi Kyung-cheol, Jang Tae-soo, Jung Ho-jin, Kim Dong-han, and Ryan Long, for next season,” Lotte announced on April 22. That’s a whopping eight coaching staff members. Although not included in the official announcement, coordinator Heo Sam-young was also reportedly notified by the club.
The positions left by the existing coaching staff will now be filled by the ‘Kim Tae-hyung Division’. Some of the coaches that Kim worked with during his time at Doosan will be heading to Busan.
Kim will now have the task of building teamwork with his coaching staff. Lotte’s problems began to surface this season when former manager Larry Sutton and coach Bae Young-soo feuded.
As the rest of the coaching staff and even the players became aware of the conflict between Sutton and Bae Young-soo, cracks began to appear in the teamwork. This happened at the beginning of the season, when the team was at the peak of its performance.
Lotte tried to cover it up by sending the coach to the second team, but in the end, these divisions were linked to their performance. The players’ trust in the coaching staff also declined. In fact, there were so-called “factions” within the coaching staff that the players could not help but notice.
As a result, despite investing heavily in the offseason, Lotte had to accept the report card of failing to qualify for fall baseball for the sixth consecutive year. It was a year that proved that simply adding strength to the roster wasn’t going to help the team perform.
For Lotte to rebuild the team, it’s important to set the tone here. Starting with the new coaching staff, the team will need to become a “one-man team” under Kim, and then harmonize with the players.
Kim built a “dynasty” by leading Doosan to seven consecutive Korean Series appearances from 2015 to 2021. Not only does he have a lot of experience in the Korean Series, but he is also known for leading his team with his unique charisma. As the leader of the team, he must create a focal point for the coaching staff to come together.
Lotte will hold Kim’s inauguration ceremony in Busan on the 24th. On the 25th, he will meet with the team at the Gimhae Sangdong Stadium, where the final training session will be held. As he begins his journey as Lotte’s head coach, a lot of responsibility rests on his shoulders. 짱구카지노
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