*This content was translated by AI.
"What do you think about the evaluation of experts and media?"
Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man (50) expressed "infinite trust" in his players ahead of his first full-fledged tempering for the 2026 season. He lowered himself, saying he was evaluated as a favorite thanks to his performance in the 2025 season. At the same time, he was confident that there would be good results if he did it with confidence as he did.
According to Samsung's official YouTube channel, "Lions TV," the Samsung team held a full meeting under coach Park Jin-man's convocation ahead of the first official training session of the 2026 spring camp in Guam on the 25th. At the meeting, coach Park Jin-man emphasized the pride of the players through his remarks.
Coach Park Jin-man said, "These days, there are talks among experts and media that we are a strong candidate for the championship," and added, "The reason for such evaluation is that our players' skills and performances have been supported." I'm very proud of you as a coach to get that kind of evaluation," he said.
He added, "It's my first training, but if you train with challenge, persistence, and confidence as you have done so far, if you do your best as one, there will be good results."
After all Park's remarks, Koo Ja-wook (33) also stood in front of the team as a captain and said, "The coach said good things. I think our club's goals are all planted. That's why he encouraged me by saying, "I hope all of these members become winners of the Korean Series because they help me do it next to them." In the training that followed immediately after the meeting, the players sweated in a lively atmosphere all the time even in the hot weather.
Samsung, which has worked hard to strengthen its power, including Choi Hyung-woo (43) after the 2025 season, is considered the strongest candidate for the 2026 season along with the LG Twins. Some say that Koo Ja-wook, Won Tae-in, Choi Won-tae, Kim Young-woong, Lee Jae-hyun, and Kang Min-ho are in good harmony. Under these circumstances, coach Park is believed to have changed the label of "the favorite," which can be a burden to the players, to credit the players and turn them into a source of confidence.
Coach Park Jin-man also met with reporters just before leaving Incheon International Airport on the 23rd, saying, "I have no intention of avoiding mentioning the championship at all. Because they tell us a lot of good stories, our team's skills and power have risen that much, so those expectations come out. He added, "I will receive this kind of voice sweetly and I will prepare well for the season."
At the meeting, the faces who newly joined Samsung for this season's "challenge for president" also strengthened their determination. New foreign pitcher Matt Manning, 28, was greeted by his teammates, saying, "I'm looking forward to learning Korean culture and baseball. He participated in his first training session with the determination that he would contribute to the team's victory. Choi Hyung-woo also raised the team's atmosphere by training with a bright expression all the time among his juniors. In the pitching staff, key players such as Won Tae-in and Choi Won-tae adjusted their conditions, and rehabilitation players also showed a hotter "winning commitment" than Guam's hot heat, burning their will to return.
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*This content was translated by AI.
