Lotte Giants acting manager Lee Jong-woon was resolute despite the sudden change in position. It is true that he was embarrassed in many ways, but he made it clear that he would not stop challenging fall baseball until the end of the season for the fans.

Acting Lee Jong-woon immediately after the cancellation of the 11th game of the season against the Hanwha Eagles in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, which was scheduled to be held at Daejeon Hanwha Life Insurance Eagles Park on the 29th, “They say there aren’t many games left around me, but I think it’s possible (to advance to the postseason). “I told the players to do their best until the end of each game,” he said.

On the afternoon of the 28th, Acting Lee Jong-woon changed his position from head coach of the 1st team to acting manager. On June 27, he was given the important responsibility of leading the team’s coaching staff and the entire squad just two months after he was promoted from Future Steam coach to head coach.

Former Lotte manager Larry Sutton expressed his appreciation to the club late at night on the 27th. He recently complained of dizziness right before the game on two occasions and returned home without being able to command the game.

Coach Sutton achieved the “Korean Dream” by becoming the first foreign left-handed hitter to become the first foreign left-handed hitter in 2005 for the Hyundai Unicorns (disbanded) during his active career. After his retirement and starting his coaching career in the US minor leagues, his relationship with Korea continued. In the 2020 season, he was appointed as Lotte’s second-team coach and was in charge of nurturing young players.

However, ‘Lotte manager’ Sutton’s move was not smooth. It ranked 8th in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons and cruised to 3rd until May this season, but suffered a sharp fall from June. As Lotte failed to bounce back in the second half, Lotte is in 7th place, 5 games behind the 5th place KIA Tigers with 50 wins and 58 losses and an odds rate of 0.463.메이저놀이터

Acting head coach Lee Jong-woon repeatedly said, “I’m sorry to the manager,” and lowered his head, saying that he had not properly assisted Sutton as head coach. He emphasized, “It is the responsibility of all of us that the director suddenly stepped down.”

However, the position is that it is not the stage to give up the pursuit of 5th place. Acting manager Lee Jong-woon raised his voice, saying, “The players also have to take the current situation seriously.

“We had a lot of consecutive losses, but we are a team that has often won. During the meeting, I asked to do our best in every game for the sake of the fans,” he said. Someone has to play the role. I also have the idea that the players can do well in the future.”

For acting manager Lee Jong-woon, the first-team manager is not an unfamiliar position. After the 2014 season, he was appointed Lotte’s 16th commanding tower and had experience leading the team for one year in the 2015 season. Although the team finished in 8th place in the 2015 season and suffered the pain of being hardened in the first year of the 3-year contract, after returning as the coach of the Future Team this year, he played for Lotte’s victory as a first-team agent at the end of the second half.

Acting Lee Jong-woon said, “It is meaningless now that I was the first team manager in the past. Now, as the acting manager, I have to focus on helping the team break a losing streak and turn the atmosphere around.” . Since I was the head coach, I did well with the current coaching staff, so it’s right to continue as it is.”