'10HR→29HR' 11.5 billion big guns wake up, 'Lee Seung-yeop's last year' Chaos infield dictates
'10HR→29HR' 11.5 billion big guns wake up, 'Lee Seung-yeop's last year' Chaos infield dictates
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With the appointment of Doosan Bears head coach Lee Seung-yeop (48), the legendary home run king, the most anticipated was whether Kim Jae-hwan (36), the fallen Jamsil home run king, would revive.메이저놀이터
Manager Lee Seung-yeop has repeatedly said, "Only when Kim Jae-hwan survives, Doosan can expect good performance," but Kim Jae-hwan, who had the most disappointing season since he was reborn as Doosan's central hitter, has fully revived this year.
There was another concern, but thanks to Kim Jae-hwan's revival, Doosan raised its ranking one notch higher than last year. And now is the time for another change in the final season of Lee Seung-yeop's contract, which is the most important.
Kim Jae-hwan, who had a long slump since his debut in 2008, finally became Doosan's perfect No. 4 hitter with 37 home runs in 2016 and became Jamsil's home run king for the first time in 20 years since Tyrone Woods with 44 home runs in 2018.
However, it gradually went downhill after that, and last year had the worst season with a batting average of 0.220 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs with an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.674.
Kim gave up his vacation and voluntarily participated in the closing camp with rookie players and received special tutoring from coach Lee Seung-yeop, and even went to Kang Jung-ho Academy in the U.S. at his own expense. As a result, he garnered satisfactory results with a batting average of 0.283, 29 homers and 92 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.893.
It erased one big concern. But another problem beyond that hit Doosan. It is a big task of generational change.
After the season ended, Doosan made all-out efforts to stay Heo Kyung-min (34), a franchise star and Doosan's stronghold on third base, but lost to KT Wiz after four years and four billion won (approx. They neither acquired other resources nor strengthened them through trade. They also found foreign players as outfielders. The issue of infield composition has emerged as Doosan's biggest homework during the offseason.
What is certain is that there is only one first baseman. Except for Kim, who has displayed synergy with Kim Jae-hwan by hitting 34 home runs this season, all second basemen, third basemen, and shortstop are definitely starting players.
Doosan plans to test Kang Seung-ho (30) as third baseman in order to fill Heo Kyung-min's spot. If this goes well as expected, the team will only have to find the right place for second base and shortstop. Park Joon-young (27), who Lee said was the top priority ahead of this season, and Park Gye-beom (28), who failed to play as a victim of the "Oh Jae-won incident," are also preparing to take the lead.
The first thing that comes to mind as a second baseman is Park Joon-soon (18), who Doosan picked in the first round for the first time in 16 years since Huh Kyung-min. Doosan chose Park Joon-soon, leaving behind many candidates. At the time, general manager Kim Tae-ryong expressed his expectation, saying, "He will take responsibility for Doosan for the next 10 years or more." Park Joon-soon is the most highly anticipated player among the 2025 rookie fielders, as he won the Star Award in the Baseball category at the Futures Star Awards on April 25.
However, the Korean team needs to prepare for the loss of expectations from the first season. Yeo Dong-gun (19), who showed good performance at the last minute of this season, and Lee Yoo-chan (26), who has a lot of experience in infield, are also likely to compete fiercely for a place not only at second base but also at shortstop.
There are many candidates. However, Doosan desperately hopes that Kang Seung-ho will succeed in changing his position and that players such as Heo Kyung-min and Kim Jae-ho, who will make a leap to the starting lineup, will come out.
Lee Seung-yeop, manager of Doosan Bears who is unfamiliar with Doosan for three years and 1.8 billion won (1.8 million U.S. dollars) ahead of the 2023 season, said, "The contract will be the last year in 2025. Lee has been under criticism for the past two seasons. It will be a very important year for him to regain his reputation and renew his contract. Stabilizing the infielders is the key to making a big smile after the end of the season. Doosan, which is drawing a new future through generational change after enjoying stellar times, is also facing a year in which keen attention will be paid to the infielders' performance.