"I wasn't sure either" A month when Kim Tae-hyung of the world was also embarrassed'April overwhelmingly last → June first place' Recall of the first half of upheaval

Jul 04, 2024

Lotte and Kiwoom at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 23rd, and Lotte Yoon Dong-hee is happy after hitting a triple in the top of the 8th inning. Gocheok = Reporter's book@sportschosun.com/2024.06.23/

Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung applauding the players.

"Actually, I wasn't sure from the middle of the exhibition game."

The reason why Lotte Giants have yet to reach the top five even though they ranked first in the overall consolidation from May to June. This is due to the poor performance at the beginning of the season that even Kim Tae-hyung, the coach of the world, embarrassed.

Lotte had one win, six losses in March and seven wins, 15 losses and one draw in April, with eight wins, 21 losses and one draw until the end of April. At that time, he was overwhelmingly in last place, two and a half games behind the ninth-ranked KT Wiz. It's been literally a nightmare month. The loss on the first day of May dropped the margin to -14.

However, since then, it has achieved a miraculous upward trend and has risen to the threshold of a mid-range leap. The goal of 'Autumn Baseball in the First Year of the Department' announced at the inauguration ceremony began to catch my eye little by little. It is not just a 'big game strong man', but why it is called a 'master' through the long-term race operation this season.

Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung, who met at Jamsil Stadium on the 3rd, said about the first half of the season, `It is true that what we planned before the season was distorted. From the middle of the exhibition game, I wasn't as sure as I thought about the batting lineup or the fielders' power," he smiled.

The KBO League KT Wiz and Lotte Giants match at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 19th. Lotte's Koo Seung-min is cheering after finishing the inning with a double play in the bottom of the sixth inning with one out and runners on the first and second bases. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.06.19/

"It doesn't work out as planned when planning the original season. It's just about time. As a result, it's going well. (The bullpen is the problem) Koo Seung-min is getting better, and Choi Jun-yong is now starting to throw the ball. I think it will be okay as long as the pitchers get better now. The players worked hard and settled down, and the young players enjoyed a good atmosphere. The flow has improved. I think I've also gained confidence and conviction."

Young players settled down one after another in the lineup, which was like a wasteland before the season. Even before the season, Yoon Dong-hee was named one of the main players and never dropped out of the second division. On the other hand, Park Seung-wook has never gone down despite his poor batting performance at the beginning of the season based on his defense skills such as Altoran.

Yoo Kang-nam, who was pointed out as another main player, had a brilliant period, but he was hurt by poor batting. Coach Kim Tae-hyung decided to give him enough time to recover. Captain Jeon Jun-woo also just returned after more than a month of injury recovery.

Lotte and Kiwoom at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 23rd, and Lotte Hwang Sung-bin hits a triple that separates the right-center in the top of the fifth inning and cheers. Gocheok = Reporter's book@sportschosun.com/2024.06.23/

Instead, young players such as Ko Seung-min and Na Seung-yeop came up all at once. Coach Kim Tae-hyung said, `Honestly, I wasn't sure when I made Ko Seung-min practice second base. Isn't his body big to watch second base. At the beginning of the season, (B) Seung-yeop couldn't even get the timing. "I recalled an upset time. Then "The two settled down, Yoon Dong-hee was playing her part, and Hwang Sung-bin was good, so the atmosphere improved." "It's still a long way off." Now, when the injured players return, they have to stick to them properly in the second half. The goal is to play as many winning games as possible."

Reyes was named the MVP of the first half of the season. Head coach Kim Tae-hyung praised it, saying, `It's not easy for a foreign hitter to play well consistently like this without missing a game.'

Stabilization of the mound is an urgent priority. Wilkerson was sluggish at the beginning of the season, and Park Se-woong has a lot of ups and downs, not like a veteran. Na Kyun-an was suspended for 30 games due to repeated sluggish performances and personal history, and Kim Jin-wook is also fluctuating. It is not easy for other candidates such as Lee In-bok and Shim Jae-min to appear in the first team.

Lotte and Hanwha match held at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 28th. Lotte Reyes hit a two-run double in the sixth inning. Busan = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2024.06.28/

Charlie Barnes returns from the first series of the second half. Ko Seung-min is also likely to return to the first division quickly.

Son Ho-young and Yoo Kang-nam need a little more time.

Still, Kim Won-joong, the closer, is reassuring. Han Hyun-hee fills the bullpen's weakness. Head coach Kim Tae-hyung said "When Barnes returns, there will be a starting must-win card, so we need to strengthen the middle. Han Hyun-hee does it in the middle, and Lee Min-seok is also fine in the bullpen. I think Park Jin will be the starter," he added.

lunarfly@sportschosun.com

"I wasn't sure either" A month when Kim Tae-hyung of the world was also embarrassed'April overwhelmingly last → June first place' Recall of the first half of upheaval

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