Yang Hyun-jong, “Chief of Staff, apologizes to the players… Requests them to ‘prepare well for the season'”
Captain Na Seong-beom and ‘big pitcher’ Yang Hyeon-jong of the professional baseball KIA Tigers,
who lost their head coach in an instant, set out to calm the team’s mood.
Captain Na Seong-beom
Na Seong-beom met with reporters at Incheon International Airport before leaving for training on the 30th and said,
“As spring camp begins, I think we should focus on preparing for the season.” 온라인카지노
Na Seong-beom said, “It’s the beginning of the year,
but it’s turned out like this, so the atmosphere is a little dark.
At the (players) meeting, I said, ‘Don’t be too upset,
let’s start as prepared and prepare well for the season.'”
Regarding the absence of the head coach, he said, “I don’t know who will come,
but I hope they come quickly and help the team start over again.”
Addressing the coaching staff, including Head Coach Jin Gap-yong, he said,
“I hope you will give us a lot of support so that we can play baseball hard,” and emphasized,
“I think if (the atmosphere) is down, the team can fail the season.”
He continued, “I think the coaches and we need to quickly change the atmosphere,” and added,
“We are trying to inject some fighting spirit so that the atmosphere does not deteriorate.”
Yang Hyeon-jong was also wary of the growing repercussions of this incident.
KIA Tigers
Especially during spring training, he consoled his juniors by saying that each player’s discretion is greater than that of a coach.
Yang Hyeon-jong said, “It’s my personal opinion, but in spring camp,
coaches help a lot and there aren’t many situations where the coach steps in.
Since it’s a time when a lot of things are left up to the players,
I think it’s still urgent to think about ‘what should I do to fill the coach’s empty spot?'” He said.
Meanwhile, KIA General Manager Shim Jae-hak delivered the message he emphasized at the players’ meeting that day.
Yang Hyun-jong recalled, “First of all, the general manager apologized and said,
‘I hope the players don’t think too much and just prepare well for the season.’”
He continued, “(Captain) Seong-beom also ordered the players to ‘act courageously rather than look down or bow down’ and told them to think again about their respective resolve,” and added,
“The players must have fully felt what he meant.”
Former KIA coach Kim Jong-guk, who is suspected of receiving money from a sponsor,
appeared for interrogation (substantive warrant review) before his arrest.
The KIA club terminated its contract with former coach Kim on the 29th when it became known that the prosecution had requested an arrest warrant.