The LG Twins are on pace to win the regular season title this year. In manager Yoon Kyung-yeop’s first year at the helm, the team has raced out to a commanding lead and, barring a major upset, will finish atop the standings for the first time in 31 years, since 1992. However, it is a disappointing season for Yeom, who tried to combine both performance and development.
In a meeting with reporters before their game against the Doosan Bears in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Jamsil Stadium on Jan. 1, Yeom reflected on the season. “Our team was very dependent on the nine main players. They had some nagging injuries, but we were able to hold on because we didn’t have any major injuries, and we had a stable season,” he said.
The younger players needed to step up to strengthen the roster. Lee Jae-won, Song Chan-ui, Son Ho-young, and others were underperforming, which didn’t add to the depth. “Outsiders say that LG’s player base is thick. However, the team’s depth is not as good as it should be because they have not been able to develop players such as Lee Jae-won, Song Chan-ui, and Son Ho-young.” He made a sobering diagnosis.토토사이트
Yeom had high hopes for Lee Jae-won, Song Chan-i, and Son Ho-young. From the time of the spring training in Arizona, the coach had been following the young players closely and trying to guide their growth. He believed that Lee Jae-won would be a pillar of the batting order, while Song Chan-ui could develop into a player like Kim Ha-sung. Son Ho-young was seen as a resource to back up Oh Ji-hwan at shortstop. However, neither of them has been able to establish themselves in the first team.
“I think it was an unsuccessful season in terms of developing beasts,” Yeom said. We wanted to develop Lee Jae-won, Song Chan-i, and Son Ho-young, but they didn’t grow as we thought. There were also injuries at the beginning of the season, so it was difficult to run the season. We had no choice but to give them rest during the matches,” he said, adding, “I am grateful to the training department for managing the players’ physical condition well.”
On the other hand, the pitching program has been successful. Park Myung-geun, Ham Deok-ju, Baek Seung-hyun, and Yoo Young-chan performed beyond expectations, which helped strengthen the depth. “I’m glad we’ve been able to develop our pitchers well. Thanks to them, we’ve been able to come this far,” he said.
Rookie Park Myung-geun perfectly filled the void left by Jung Woo-young’s absence, while Ham Deok-ju was a key member of the bullpen throughout the season despite being sidelined by injury. Baek Seung-hyun and Yoo Young-chan also energized the team in the middle innings.
With first place virtually assured, LG has its eyes on the postseason. The best-case scenario would be to finish the season at full strength. “There are times when the pace goes up and down. Right now, it’s off. But I don’t think it’s a bad thing. We need to pick it up again from next week, so we can do well in the postseason,” he said.