“Even though I’m embarrassed… Someone has to do it.”
Lotte, whose head coach Larry Sutton stepped down, will compete until the end of the season under the system of acting head coach Lee Jong-woon. Acting manager Lee Jong-woon, who led Lotte as a first-team manager in 2015, took the team’s baton again after eight years as an acting manager this time. We need to see the game in the remaining 36 games.
Coach Sutton resigned on the 27th and missed the KT match due to health problems, and announced his intention to resign to the club. On the 28th, the club accepted the resignation and switched to the acting head coach Lee Jong-woon. Although Lotte has been in a slump for a long time with 7 consecutive losses recently, it is not yet at the stage of giving up completely as it is 7th, 5 games behind 5th place KIA.메이저놀이터
In a meeting with reporters after the match against Hanwha in Daejeon was canceled in the rain on the 29th, acting manager Lee Jong-woon said, “I am embarrassed to suddenly take over as acting manager, but I have to do my best in the given position. someone has to do it If you can help the team, you should do it,” he said.
The following is a Q&A from Acting President Lee and reporters.
-Why is the team unable to maintain its momentum at the beginning of the season?
▲ The pitching is unbalanced. The pitchers are doing good pitching in their own way, but I think the details of the defense are a pity. (36 games left in the season) They say it’s not long, but I think it’s enough. The players are also taking it seriously when the coach resigned. It is the responsibility of all of us, not the director alone. We had a losing streak, but we also had a winning streak. He said, “Let’s do our best in the remaining 1 game and 1 game, even for the sake of the fans.”
-It must not have been easy for you to accept the role of acting manager.
▲ It’s a bit embarrassing, but it’s a position given to me as the head coach. I had a lot of thoughts, but for now, someone has to do it. If you can help the team, you should. I used to be a rookie coach for the first team, but a lot of time has passed. For now, the first goal is to break the losing streak. I think I need to break the losing streak and focus on reversing the atmosphere.
- Is the head coach position vacant?
▲ Yes. I think it’s better to work with the coaches I’ve worked with (in the first team) rather than someone serving as head coach here and now.
-If there was anything you talked about with Sutton.
▲ Yesterday (from Busan to Daejeon on the 28th), I met and apologized before coming up. He feels responsible for not being a good supporter by the side. He could only say he was sorry. Still, the director hugged me and said, ‘Please finish well’, but I felt very, very sorry.
-What kind of conversation did you have with the club front desk?
▲ The front desk said that they entrusted a lot of things to me. He said, ‘Take care of the team and have a good game’. He talked with the captain and the team leader.
-You took on the role of a relief pitcher in a difficult situation for the team.
▲ For now, we have to prepare well for each game and do our best to see the results. It is not a situation where there is tomorrow. I told the players to do their best until the end of the ninth inning. The players will feel a lot when they see the fans clapping and cheering for the team even in difficult situations. If you don’t feel it, you are not qualified as a professional player. Because baseball is a team sport, we put more emphasis on that aspect for our players. He made it clear that he would not make an exception if he behaved against team play and would not go with him for the rest of the period.
- Every year, the team is good at the beginning of the season, but the reason why it gets worse in the middle and late stages.
▲ It is not appropriate to talk about the root cause here. I think my role is to create an atmosphere where the team can bounce back by escaping from a losing streak.
-What orders did you give to veteran players?
▲ In this case, seniors should play a role as veterans. We shared sympathy, and even in difficult situations, seniors asked us to show a good side of ourselves.
- Will there be any changes in game management?
▲ There have been many changes in the batting order, but I am trying to stay stable. In the end, the existing players have to do it. (As key players) I think it is necessary for players in the center such as Jeon Jun-woo, Ahn Chi-hong, and Jung-hoon to do it. (In terms of experience) You can’t ask the players below you to do it.