Acting manager Lee Jong-woon said, “The captain is the team leader. A leader must lead the team.
I asked Chihong to play that role,” he said.
Acting Director Lee has a special relationship with Ahn Chi-hong. In 2008, 15 years ago now.
Lee, who led Gyeongnam High School to the top level in high school baseball and was appointed as the youth national team coach 토토사이트
led Korea to victory at the World Youth Baseball Championship held in Edmonton, Canada.
It remains to this day as Korea’s last youth national team championship, and the main member at the time was Ahn Chi-hong of Seoul High School.
Ahn Chi-hong was called one of the four kings of high school baseball shortstops
along with Gwangju Jeil High School Heo Gyeong-min (Doosan)
Gyeongbuk High School Kim Sang-soo (KT), and Gyeonggi High School Oh Ji-hwan (LG).
In the youth national team, he played an active role in offense and defense as the number 3 hitter and third baseman
contributing greatly to Korea’s victory.
The relationship from 15 years ago turned around and continued again at Lotte.
Acting Lee, who returned to Lotte as the Futures coach ahead of this season, was promoted to first team head coach on June 27.
And on the 28th, when Coach Sutton voluntarily resigned
he took over the leadership of Lotte again as acting coach, and reunited with captain Ahn Chi-hong as coach and player.
Acting manager Lee said, “I once played with Chihong during the youth national team.
I can talk a little more comfortably than a player I haven’t played with,” he said.
The players have to play the game.
He expressed his confidence, saying, “Chihong will lead the players well.
I remember him as a strict person,” said Ahn Chi-hong, who recalled Lee as assistant manager during his time with the youth national team.
He said that a lot since he came as head coach.
He said, “Because we have a relationship, he seems to be more comfortable showing expectations to me,” adding, “At that time, I was an amateur in high school, and now that I am a professional, the situation is very different.”
The coach and players who led the youth national team to victory 15 years ago must now save Lotte, which is in crisis.
There are only 36 games left for 7th-place Lotte, which has recently suffered 7 consecutive losses and has widened the gap with 5th-place KIA to 7 games.
It is a difficult gap to overturn, but it is not a gap to give up.
Acting manager Lee also said, “They say there isn’t much left in the game, but in my opinion, it’s enough,” and added
The players who need to do what they need to do should do what they need to do,” and chose Ahn Chi-hong as the key player first.
Ahn Chi-hong has a big role to play, from setting the team mood to serving as the central hitter who leads the game.
He said, “The coach talked about creating a good atmosphere with the senior players, including me.
There is still a season left, and if you are a professional player, you should not give up while you have the opportunity.
If we raise the mood again, the team’s performance and other aspects will change,” he said.
It may be too late, but there is still a chance.
I will do my best until the end,” he emphasized.
Ahn Chi-hong, who becomes his second free agent after this season, is struggling in the weak Lotte batting lineup with a batting average of .2097 (106 hits in 357 at-bats), 6 home runs, 53 RBIs, and an OPS of .778 in 101 games.
In particular, he improved his batting skills with a batting average of .307, 1 Lee (26 hits in 70 at-bats), 3 home runs, 12 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.037 in 19 games in August.
Ahn Chi-hong said, “When I couldn’t get a feel for it, I seemed to hit with awe.
He’s swinging confidently without thinking about the consequences for now.
Since he doesn’t miss a hit, he is hitting good balls.
I am working hard to maintain that,” he said.
As I am the captain, I think more about how the team can do well rather than what is personally important.
These are not empty words; I will do my best for the team’s performance until the end.”