After acquiring MBC Cheongnyong in 1990, the LG Twins won two Korean Series (KS) titles in less than five years. It took them a whopping 29 years to regain the title.
Neither LG officials nor the players expected to wait this long. Back then, LG had no rough edges. Baseball was easier than management. Owner Koo Bon-moo invested heavily in the organization and led the way in baseball despite being a late bloomer.
The team was the first in the KBO to create a secondary housing championship club in Guri City and took the initiative to develop a farm team. But baseball didn’t work out the way the team intended.
While LG reached the top twice in five years, it didn’t build a dynasty, failing to win the 1995 championship. In fact, it’s easier to win a championship in the KBO than in Major League Baseball’s World Series. So there are plenty of dynasties.
The reporter was in charge of LG in 1994, so he always wondered why the team lost the top spot in the regular season in 1995 and failed to create a dynasty. Fifteen years later, in 2010, I learned the exact reason for LG’s dynasty failure. During a training camp in Arizona, I learned from a member of the winning team that clubhouse conflict was the biggest reason for their failure.
At the start of 1995, LG’s KS title seemed almost certain. Rookie shortstop Ryu Ji-hyun, first baseman Seo Yong-bin, and outfielder Kim Jae-hyun had the strongest batting lineup as they gained experience, but as the season progressed, an outside variable led to an imbalance in power.
Three infielders, second baseman Park Jong-ho, shortstop Ryu Ji-hyun, and third baseman Song Koo-hong, were called up to the defense at the same time. The defense was only called up for home games, exposing the gap in the infield between Jamsil and away. The gap to second place began to close as ace Lee Sang-hoon failed to add a win since mid-August. Even manager Lee Kwang-hwan shook his hand at the end. Lee threw a no-hitter on the fourth day after three days of rest to reach 20 wins. He finished the year with a 20-5 record.
They finished the regular season with 74 wins, 48 losses, and four ties, losing the top spot to the OB Bears, who finished with 74 wins, 47 losses, and five ties. Losing the top spot in the regular season makes it virtually impossible to win the Korean Series. They lost the best-of-seven playoff series against Lotte 2 games to 4, missing out on the KS for the second straight year. In 1995, KS regained the top spot 13 years after the 1982 championship when OB beat them 4-2 in the best-of-seven series. 보스토토 도메인
LG failed to defend its title, and the following year, manager Lee Kwang-hwan was fired after the All-Star Game due to poor performance, and Chun Bo-sung was promoted to head coach. In the end, LG lost by half a game and had to wait 29 years for In-go’s dynasty to come to an end.
Although there was a power leak due to the absence of the core of the team due to national guard duty, the biggest cause was internal. Current head coach Cha Myung-seok is well aware of this. That’s why, as LG manager, he has focused on preventing certain players from dominating the clubhouse. The clubhouse and dugout conflict stems from the troika on the mound.
LG Woo speaking to reporters in Arizona
Leave a Reply