‘Legendary’ coach Joo Hyung-kwang returns to Lotte. He is the first team’s main pitching coach. It is known that he has no special relationship with director Kim Tae-hyung, which attracts attention.
According to multiple officials familiar with Lotte’s situation, it was revealed that the pitching coach chosen by Manager Kim, who took office as Lotte’s 21st manager, was the main coach.스포츠토토
It’s an unexpected card. After Coach Kim was confirmed to take the helm at Lotte, he is filling out the coaching staff according to his own style. It is literally ‘Kim Taehyung’s division’. Bae Young-soo, the highly trusted second-team manager, was left behind, and eight coaches, including acting manager Lee Jong-woon, were organized into a pile. And a new member known to be joining the team is SSG Landers coach Minjae Kim, who will join as head coach. Coaches Kim Joo-chan, Ko Young-min, and Yoo Jae-shin, who worked for the Doosan Bears, were brought in. In addition, the first team positions that are not yet known are scheduled to be filled with personnel to whom Coach Kim has sent love calls.
However, Coach Joo has no special relationship with Coach Kim. Coach Kim only played for Doosan during his time as a player, and also did his coaching work only for Doosan and SK Wyverns (predecessor of SSG). The main coach is ‘Lotte Man’. He has never left Lotte, whether as a player or coach. Coach Kim, born in 1967, and Coach Joo, born in 1976, have a large age difference. School years do not overlap. He is an unexpected person in the category of ‘Kim Tae-hyung’s division’.
During his time as coach of Doosan, Coach Kim had the style of giving the coach full authority over the pitching department. Since it was such an important position, why didn’t he fill it with a coach he knew well and was close to? I can think of two reasons.
First, compared to other parts, it may have been difficult for Manager Kim to find the coach he wanted in the pitching department. It is said that the field is experiencing a coaching crisis regardless of position. Conditions such as not being able to bring in a coach you like from another team may be holding you back.
The second reason is that it may be a better choice to trust the main coach, who knows the Lotte team and pitchers better than anyone else. Coach Joo retired from Lotte in 2007 and began his career as a coach in 2008. Since he served as a rehabilitation coach at the time, he has changed his position as a pitching coach as many as 11 times until 2019. He had a variety of experiences from the first team to the third team. In the mid-2010s, his leadership was recognized for his management of the pitching staff, which was referred to as ‘fluorescent magic’. Coach Kim can receive advice not only on pitching duties but also on Lotte’s club culture, which is different from Doosan’s. After leaving Lotte in 2019, Coach Joo was recently working as a coach at Yangjeong Elementary School in Busan.
Meanwhile, coach Kim Hyun-wook, who survived among the existing Lotte coaches, will also be in charge of the bullpen. Coach Kim, who was a ‘luxury side’ pitcher, joined Lotte as a training coach at the end of last year. He is recognized for his abilities in both pitching and training. When coach Bae Young-soo moved to the second team in the middle of this season, he changed his position from training to pitcher for the remainder of the season.