Lotte suffered a setback due to its failure to advance to the postseason for six consecutive years until last year. Feeling the need for change, Lotte reached out to manager Kim Tae-hyung, who led the Doosan Bears for eight years from 2015 to 2022.
Manager Kim Tae-hyung said, "The players have prepared well with the goal of autumn baseball. Rather than speaking to the fans, I will show them with my body. I will keep my promise so that I can go to the fall baseball league," adding, "I will try to win the championship within three years."
Lotte expects good results if manager Kim Tae-hyung's rich experience and the growth of young players create synergy. Players explain that many things have already changed, including the team atmosphere, from the spring camp.
Jeon Joon-woo, who is leading the players as captain, said, "I have a sense of goal that the players want to achieve. The coach made a framework for me because he said he would definitely go to the fall baseball league this year and win the championship within three years. Not everything will work out as he said, but I think the coach would have made a plan and thought so, so wouldn't he have said that? I think it would be great," he said. "That's why I think the players have thought a lot for themselves, and I think their minds have changed as much as they have to prepare well."
"Players have become stronger. If we used to have a lot of young players, now we have (Kim) Min-sung, and (Kim) Sang-soo, (Oh) Sun-jin, and (Choi) Hang-yi, I think we can communicate well in that area and I think we have gotten better," he added.
Kim Won-joong said, "The director came for the first time and created an atmosphere where everyone was nervous, so we could compete harder, and we were able to prepare well in good faith competition. Since the seniors create an atmosphere (so that they can be strong), we can trust and follow them."
Through an exhibition game at the spring camp, Lotte confirmed the growth potential of young players. Young players including pitchers Park Jin, Choi Yi-joon, Jeon Mir, Woo Kang-hoon and infielder Lee Ju-chan were also given the opportunity to play in the opening game announced on the day.
Kim Won-joong said, "Since (Choi) Jun-yong, (Park) Jin, (Choi) Lee Jun, and (former) Mir have come up a lot, those players are talented, and they are good players, so if we play together, we can become a much better team."
Jeon said, "Many young players played last year as well. I think a lot of players like Ko Seung-min, Na Seung-yup, Yoon Dong-hee and Kim Min-seok will come out this year, but they were originally good players and have a lot of things. Now that we have more experience, we will be able to show better performances this year," expressing expectations for younger players.
Meanwhile, Lotte will hold its opening game of the regular season against the SSG Landers at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on Sunday. Aaron Wilkerson will be the starting pitcher
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