7th place → No efficiency in power reinforcement, hell training, Lotte camp that has changed dramatically...In the end, it depends on the revival of 8 billion catchers
Feb 08, 2025
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Lotte's first camp in Tainan, Taiwan, has also exceeded two weeks. Every day is compulsory except for rest days.
Regular training begins at 9 a.m. Prior to this, however, a group of 'early work' will be formed after an early breakfast.
It is different from previous years when I finished training around 2-3 o'clock after lunch. The training is over after five o'clock. There is also a night training group here. It is a completely different atmosphere from this time when former coach Huh Moon-hoi and Larry Sutton, who focused on 'warming up' ahead of the new season.
However, in retrospect, head coach Kim Tae-hyung was not this strong when he was in Doosan. After intense training, the players' self-training used to continue late at night, but the coaches did not lead the players by encouraging them at the top of their lungs as they do now.
Lotte failed to play in fall baseball for seven consecutive years until last year. Before former coach Jerry Royster took office, the so-called `password era(8888577)' was seven years. As such, ahead of the 2025 season, rookie players such as Kim Tae-hyung and captain Jeon Jun-woo are bound to be overflowing with extraordinary determination.
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There is also a high level of satisfaction with Taiwan, a new training site. Until last year, Lotte's first camp site was Guam. However, head coach Kim Tae-hyung complained a lot about poor facilities, and for this reason, Taiwan is the place he newly found.
Coach Kim Tae-hyung said, `After training, I'm really satisfied with the ground situation and the training environment. All the facilities are perfect." Turns out there was a reason. Tainan City, where Lotte is staying, is adjusting its facilities and atmosphere to attract professional baseball teams from the Taiwan Professional Baseball (CPBL) in the future.
Thanks to this, the city also has a win-win relationship in which it tests facilities suitable for the professional level through Lotte. After learning Lotte's satisfaction, other clubs even knocked Taiwan as a training site.
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For foreign players, Barnes and Reyes renewed their contracts. The evaluation of Davison, a new foreign pitcher, is good so far. Despite being a left-handed pitcher, he received a passing score of up to 150 kilometers of ball power, excellent deception, and dull personality. However, there is a lot of pressure to replace Wilkerson, who was in charge of 196 ⅔ innings last year.
As a result, the only factors that will improve the performance of the new season are the growth of young fielders such as Son Ho-young, Hwang Sung-bin, Ko Seung-min, Na Seung-yup, and Yoon Dong-hee, who burst their potential last year, and the normal operation of players who could not play last year due to injuries and sluggishness. It's called immediate power, but it's still too early to expect much from rookie Kim Tae-hyun.
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If so, all that's left is the revival of Yoo Kang-nam who is 8 billion catcher. Yoo Kang-nam has suffered from chronic knee injuries since his transfer to Lotte and has not been able to show his appearance as a Diamond Bulgo as before. He also lost his slugging power, which was close to 20 home runs.
He had knee surgery last year and ended the season early. Last winter, he joined the camp with his face removed through a big diet.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
