As the new manager of the NC Dinos, Lee Ho-joon wants his team to play the way he did over his 22-year career: hit homers and compete hard.
“Basically, I want to see energy from players at the ballpark,” Lee said at his introductory press conference at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Thursday. The Dinos had announced their hiring of Lee, former Dinos captain and hitting coach, on Tuesday.
“I want to see guys run around the field, and to play a powerful and aggressive style of baseball,” Lee added. “Ideally, we’d be hitting a bunch of home runs, and I wouldn’t have to put down any signs for a whole game. Ultimately, the thing that pitchers fear the most is the home run. And it’s more entertaining for fans to see balls leave the yard.”
Lee, 48, signed a three-year deal worth up to 1.4 billion won ($1.01 million). He received a signing bonus of 300 million won and will make 300 million won in salary in each of the first two seasons. For the third season, Lee will make 350 million won, and he can earn an additional 150 million won in incentives.
Lee spent the final five seasons of his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) career with the Dinos, from 2013 to 2017. Then from 2019 to 2021, Lee worked as the Dinos’ hitting coach, helping them win their first Korean Series title in 2020.
Lee, who hit 337 homers in 2,053 games, later worked as the hitting coach for the LG Twins from 2022 to May 2024, before serving as the bench coach over the final five months of this season. The Twins won the Korean Series in 2023, their first KBO championship in 29 years.
Lee replaces Kang In-kwon, who was fired on Sept. 20 after the Dinos failed to qualify for the postseason. The Dinos were in second place on May 16 at 25-17-1 (wins-losses-ties), just one game behind the league-leading Kia Tigers. But they ended the season in ninth place at 61-81-2.
Known as a no-nonsense, charismatic leader during his playing days, Lee will likely bring the same approach to managing.
“If someone doesn’t run hard to first base, then he won’t be in the lineup,” Lee said. “There are others on the bench waiting for their chance to play.”
Lee had only been gone from the Dinos for three years, and he said he had been keeping tab on the development of young players he first saw as rookies.
As for the Dinos’ midseason swoon this year, Lee said the club had missed an opportunity to undergo changes.
“There were signs all over the place. The coaching staff should have known that, based on the players’ body language and looks on their faces,” Lee said. “I will rely on my staff and data to identify problems early, and help the players before they get into long slumps.”
The Dinos have rising young stars, like shortstop Kim Ju-won and catcher Kim Hyung-jun, both in their early 20s, and also feature 30-something veterans, such as second baseman Park Min-woo, and outfielders Park Kun-woo and Son Ah-seop.
Lee said he wants older players to set an example for younger teammates.
“In my book, veterans have to create a good culture,” the new manager said. “When they lead by example, then younger ones will naturally follow.”
While new managers typically bring in their own team of coaches, Lee only made one notable change, hiring former major league pitcher Seo Jae-weong as his bench coach. He will fill other spots on the staff with the Dinos’ minor league managers.
“I still know many of the coaches in the minor league here, and I’ve kept in touch with them since I left the Dinos,” Lee said. “I want to focus on player development here and want to lean on coaches who are familiar with the young players here. I have all the coaches that I want in the system already.” (Yonhap)
Source link
[redirect url=’https://fastpowers.com/’ sec=’3′]