“We are not playing baseball to finish 4th or 5th.”
The stern words from the chairman, who had always been encouraging, are creating a wave of awareness among the entire Doosan Bears team. After enduring the pain of bowing their heads despite finishing 4th, the team is determined to start the fall baseball season from a position higher than 4th and to reach the Korean Series stage this year.
Park Jung-won, owner of the Doosan Bears and chairman of Doosan Group, visited Japan’s Miyazaki last month, where the Doosan secondary spring camp was established, and urged the team to not settle for 4th or 5th place in the regular season, but to aim for a higher ranking through Doosan-style baseball.
The encouragement had a significant impact, as Park Jung-won left a strong message saying, “We are not playing baseball to finish 4th or 5th. I hope you will repay the fans with passion and your best effort through Doosan-style baseball,” as he departed from the stadium.
It’s understandable that Doosan faced criticism from many fans last year after finishing 4th in the regular season despite a collapse in their starting rotation. The team faced the ordeal of becoming the first 5th place team, KT Wiz, to lose both games in the wild card playoffs held at home after a long time. Doosan was recorded as the worst 4th place team in the history of the KBO League.
The chairman’s words came as quite a shock not only to manager Lee Seung-yeop but also to the players. While everyone internally understood the sentiment, the fact that it was directly mentioned by the owner rather than the manager or Director General made it a moment for the team to reflect on the reasons for playing baseball.
During a KBO Media Day held on the 20th, Doosan captain Yang Eui-ji noted, “I think that way naturally as a professional player, but hearing it directly from the chairman made me realize how much he cares about Doosan baseball and how much he loves it.” He added, “Thanks to his direct comments, it seems that the entire Doosan Bears team has renewed their mindset.”
For Doosan to achieve at least 3rd place, Yang Eui-ji, who frequently missed games due to injuries last year, must regain his status as a top catcher in the KBO League. Yang expressed, “This year, I plan to think selfishly about just doing well myself. I felt too much disappointment last year, so this year I want to do well selfishly to avoid feeling that disappointment again. If I do well, I believe the team will do well too.”
Meanwhile, manager Lee Seung-yeop also mentioned the chairman’s statement during Media Day, promising a leap in the 2025 season. Lee remarked, “I’m not concerned at all that this is the last year of my contract. Our Doosan Bears have gone to fall baseball for two consecutive years, but we haven’t achieved results that satisfy the fans. Our group chairman has said that we are not playing baseball to finish 4th or 5th. My goal is also not 4th or 5th.”
He added, “As I mentioned at the beginning, we’ve made a lot of preparations since spring camp, and this year, the strength that we missed last year is returning. While every team’s strength has likely risen, I believe Doosan has risen enough as well. I am confident that we will not lose against any of the 9 teams. I will make sure to show a good performance to baseball fans.”
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