Director Lee Beom-ho (42) looked back on his work.
The Kia Tigers beat the Samsung Lions 7-5 in the fifth game of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO postseason (KS, best out of seven) held at Gwangju Kia Champions Field at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. Having won four games on a first-come, first-served basis, the team has grabbed its 12th career championship.
After the game, coach Lee Bum-ho said, “Thank you so much. There were some very difficult times and some good times as I was in charge of the team. I’m grateful that I was able to finish well at the end. I’m grateful to everyone who cheered for me. I won the championship, but now it’s time to start again, so I’ll make sure to stand here next year.”
“When I was in charge of the team, I thought I could win the championship within two years. I thought our players were good enough. I think our team won the trophy as a result of doing our best. Our team has many young players and our veterans are good, so we will do our best to make the team better in the future,” he said.
“I like everything because I won. I think it’s even better at home. There are a lot of Seoul fans, but it’s been a while since Gwangju fans have achieved that goal,” he said.
Regarding many lost points in the early fifth game, he said, “I thought I would have a chance to win if I blocked enough (with few points). The players were nervous because of the chance to go out, but I’m so happy to win.”
When asked about the toughest time of the season, he said, “When starting pitchers were out, when they were not out, it was the toughest time. As for fielders, one out of every nine pitchers has to throw 100. As for starting pitchers, I had to put in young (Kim) Do-hyun and (Hwang) Dong-ha. I thought a lot about starting pitchers at the time, but I think that was the time.”
Referring to Kim Do-young as the MVP of his choice, he said, “All the players did a good job, but it’s (Kim) Do-young. I think the team has improved by growing up in a short time. It would not have been easy without Kim Do-young. Young players worked hard, so I think it would be nice to have a player like this every year.”
Lee Bum-ho, a Daegu native who played in Daejeon, had no relationship with Kia until then. Since his transfer in 2011, however, Lee has become a representative figure of the team by winning the title as both a player and a manager.
Manager Lee Bum-ho said, “Actually, I thought I would come even before I came to KIA. I hit the ball well. Maybe that’s why my fans’ names are Tiger when I come to Gwangju. Why aren’t they coming? I thought I could call them because they are a good team. They came to see me alone in Japan. I still remember them scouting me. I was able to come here because many people were at the front desk. It was so nice to be a team that could win. Personally, I think I have a big impression. I will try to make a good team so that the players here can grow into very good players.”
As for the mindset he had as a coach, he said, “As a coach, I spent 14 years in the team with the goal of winning. Let’s learn many things to make a good team at a young age. Let’s become a person who teaches us many things.” I am grateful that such a big change has occurred in just a year. I am aiming to win the championship, but I did my best to make a team that many players can continue to take the path of winning and win the championship one by one.”
As for the poet Park Chan-ho, he said, “There are a lot of people who don’t like Chan-ho’s play. When it comes to playing, not many players play every day. I think a player is the best player even if he has pain. I think that’s a player who has a big plate from Chan-ho. There are no bad sides, and I will do well to become a more cool player next year, which Chan-ho wanted.”
As for his philosophy, he said, “Play baseball the way you want to play it. I kept it all season long. I will continue to play that kind of baseball in the future. I tried to get rid of my inability to play baseball because of the coach. There are many players who are not good at baseball. I want to collect each and every one of them, make good players, and contribute to the growth of young players.” 먹튀검증
As for the baseball teachers who have taught me so far, he said, “You called me a lot. Thank you so much. I can’t tell you exactly who I am. Thank you to those who made me a lot of supervisors.”
Lastly, he said, “I want to feel once again that the players did not fall into complacency and won the championship. I think it is the job of a coach to create desperation. Being a winning team is over this time. To be a team that matches it. It is hard. It is a difficult thing. I think players will be able to play well if they catch the details. I will try to become a team that goes up step by step.”
