Lee Seung-yeop (47, photo), who was called the “national hitter” by hitting 467 home runs, the highest number ever, while playing 15 seasons in the KBO League during his active career, took office as the Doosan Command Tower in October of last year. After his retirement, he served as a commentator or KBO public relations ambassador, but there were many doubtful eyes, saying, ‘I will do well’ over the fact that he went straight to the manager without experience as a field leader. The conventional wisdom that it is difficult for directors born as superstars to succeed also contributed to the negative view of Lee going directly to the command tower.
The 2023 KBO League has spent about a month since its opening.스포츠토토 What kind of time was that one month for coach Lee, the rookie command tower? When asked about his feelings to manager Lee, who we met ahead of the match against Hanwha in Jamsil on the 2nd, the first word that came back was “I realized that it is not over until it is over.” In the match against Lotte on the 1st of last month, which was the debut game of the command tower, he won a dramatic victory with a 3-point home run to end the game, which was trailing by 5 points, and on the 27th of last month, in an away game against Samsung, his parent team, in Daegu, he was hit with a full blown and lost.
Lee’s April was off to a bad start. During the month of April, he recorded 12 wins, 1 draw and 11 losses, earning a win rate of more than 50%. Last winter, Yang Eui-ji, the best active catcher, was brought in as a free agent (FA), but Doosan’s power had more minuses than pluses. Foreign pitcher Dylan Pyle, who was brought in as the second starter, was hit in the head during spring camp and left and has not been able to pitch. Here, players who gathered expectations such as Kim In-tae and Kim Dae-han were absent due to injuries. Batting average 0.274, 2 homers and 10 RBIs, as batter Kim Jae-hwan is also in poor physical condition, is showing a sluggish appearance. Director Lee said, “April was a month spent with a holdout strategy. I can’t see it as bad, but it’s a difficult grade to be satisfied with.”
I played in numerous games during my active career and went through various trials such as a slump, but the game that suits me as a coach feels different. Manager Lee said, “The stress he receives as a manager is much greater than his playing career. He is definitely different,” he said. “When I was a player, I only had to focus on my play, but now I have to look at the entire team. Isn’t one of my strategies and decisions directly related to the team’s victory? Sometimes you have to be cautious, sometimes you have to be bold… . difficult. I can’t let go of my mind even for a moment It’s not over until it’s over.”
On the day he loses the game, Lee spends his time alone in a dark room without thinking about anything, without watching any baseball-related articles or highlight programs. Director Lee revealed his own know-how, saying, “After spending time emptying myself like that, I slept better than I thought.”
Director Lee’s Doosan is expected to become stronger in May. Dylan joins the starting rotation, adding weight to the starting lineup. With the addition of Dylan, if left-hander Choi Seung-yong, who had been the fifth starter, joins the bullpen and plays the role of a long man and one-point relief at the same time, mound management will be much easier. The sense of hitting of Jose Rojas, a foreign hitter who has been sluggish, is also reviving. Rojas scored a solo shot in the 5th inning against Hanwha on the 2nd, leading Doosan to a 3-0 victory.
Director Lee said, “We are building our strength step by step. We are working hard to create a team that doesn’t get along with any team, and that doesn’t easily lose even if we lose.”