Minimize intensive media contact rather than communication → Refuses to hold local press conferences...Kim Tae-hyung's 2nd year preparation
Feb 12, 2025
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Taipei Dome in Taiwan on the 11th. Fierce protests from Taiwanese reporters rang out.
The Lotte Giants squad has had spring camp in Tainan, south of Taiwan, since entering the country on January 24.
However, he briefly moved to Taipei, the capital of the north, ahead of his move to the second camp in Miyazaki, Japan, on the 21st-22nd. This is for a friendly match against Taiwan's World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team for two days from the 12th to the 13th.
In the process, Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung is focusing only on guiding the team while minimizing contact with reporters. He did not meet with local reporters even during the training session on Wednesday. Finally, he said he would not attend the pre- and post-press conference with the Taiwanese national team on the 12th. He belatedly said that he would only attend the press conference after the game.
It was natural for Taiwanese reporters to protest. In particular, Taiwan has great significance for the two consecutive games. As it is a national team match in which elite Taiwanese league players compete, it is regarded as an 'international competition' equivalent to an A match. It is the consensus of the Taiwanese baseball community to continue the hot heat immediately after winning the Premier 12 to WBC. The view of Lotte is also close to 'KBO League representative'.
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The Lotte club's deep concerns are hidden. Initially, Lotte was negative about the practice game during the first camp. In recent years, in the first camp, I focused on making my body as much as possible, and I only played simple simulation games or short blue and white games. This is because I often experience injuries while lifting my body quickly. From the second camp, mainly held in Japan, such as Okinawa and Miyazaki, they used to start preparing for the season in earnest by playing practice games with local teams or KBO league teams.
This year, the focus was on conditioning as much as possible, including significant reinforcement of the trainer team. In particular, rehabilitation teams such as Choi Joon-yong, Ko Seung-min, and Yoo Kang-nam, who underwent surgery last year, have not yet started training. Two foreign pitchers, Barnes and Davison, were also absent from the game.
In the two consecutive games against Taiwan, the main pitchers, including Park Se-woong and Kim Jin-wook, will take the mound to check their physical condition by playing a short inning, and the overall game is expected to be played to see the players' possibilities and current conditions.
It was clear that it was a good opportunity. Therefore, he knocked on the change of the game schedule. He suggested the direction of playing next week, just before leaving the country, by delaying the timing as much as possible.
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Given this, coach Kim Tae-hyung said, "I will pay as much attention to the management of the team as possible. In addition, they are trying to avoid uncomfortable questions about players who have not yet participated or their attitude toward the game as much as possible.
As such, coach Kim Tae-hyung's nervous inner thoughts are also seen. When Kim Tae-hyung entered Lotte, he was literally a "hero." Lotte fans did not talk about 'Winning' to the three-time Korean Series champion who has advanced to the Korean Series for seven consecutive years. I just wanted autumn baseball, which has been weak since 2017, and the Korean Series stage that I haven't stepped on since 1999. Even enthusiastic fans who have followed them to the spring camp are satisfied if they go to fall baseball in three years. You can knock after renewing your contract to win the championship."
It is true that manager Kim Tae-hyung's positive effects are significant, such as the side of a hard-to-see fighter at Lotte, the huge success of Son Ho-young's trade, and the shared growth of young batters such as Yoon Dong-hee, Na Seung-yup, Ko Seung-min, and Hwang Sung-bin. The counter-trade between Jung Chul-won and Kim Min-seok is also welcoming.
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Coach Kim Tae-hyung said he felt it would not be easy during the exhibition game of the first season, unlike the boast he made when he entered the team. The more famous a master is, the more severely he has suffered from sexual stress. It's just that it's not on the surface. When the fall baseball was decided to be eliminated, he also revealed strong emotions that were rare in the days of Doosan.
In terms of objective power, not many experts have Lotte as a candidate for the top five. Nevertheless, the burden of 'fall baseball this year is weighing heavily on the head coach's shoulders. Will Lotte be able to end its humiliation over the past seven years.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
