"If you have any thoughts, you'll know." The manager in charge of the four illegal gambling means "disciplinary action" without punishment... Lotte left a "warning of something."

*This content was translated by AI.

The Lotte Giants of professional baseball did not impose their own disciplinary action on four players accused of illegal gambling. Instead, the CEO and the general manager left an unusual case of disciplinary action against the front managers in charge of the players.

"First of all, I sincerely apologize to the fans who would have been disappointed by the deviation of the team," Lotte said on the 27th.

It is the first time in four days since the disciplinary action of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) reward and punishment committee on the 16th of the incident. Four players, Ko Seung-min (26), Kim Dong-hyuk (26), Na Seung-yeop (24), and Kim Se-min (23), visited a game room in Tainan, Taiwan, early on the 12th and were involved in illegal gambling. On the afternoon of the 13th, the fact was known to Korea, and Lotte immediately returned home and bowed its head.

At the time, the Lotte club said, "We will immediately report it to the KBO Clean Baseball Center, and the club will take corresponding measures depending on the results. The club feels the current situation seriously. We will sternly deal with any additional confirmation through a full investigation. I also warned the entire team," he said, signaling a stern warning.

First of all, the results of the KBO reward and punishment committee, which they decided to follow the standards, came out on the 23rd. In accordance with the regulations on illegal gambling, Kim Dong-hyuk was suspended for 50 games, and Ko Seung-min, Na Seung-yeop and Kim Se-min were suspended for 30 games. Kim Dong-hyuk was found to have visited not only this time but also last year and was given a slightly heavier punishment.

It is true that a lot of attention was paid to Lotte's own disciplinary action because he gave a stern warning himself. However, after much consideration, Lotte decided not to punish the players directly involved. Lotte said, "It was caused by individual deviations of the players, but the club is also feeling responsible for the unsavory incident that occurred at the training site. As a result, we have imposed severe disciplinary measures on the CEO and the general manager, as well as disciplinary measures on the front managers in charge," he said.

The disposition itself is not incomprehensible. The KBO disciplinary action has already come out according to the regulations, and Lotte first looked back and checked the club's role in a situation where disciplinary action could increase according to the police investigation. The self-discipline of the superiors can also be seen as a responsible act.

However, as the front manager in charge of the front line was disciplined without punishment from the parties, the players' mistakes were covered by innocent employees. Fans couldn't sympathize more because the conclusion came after Lotte club warned of a severe warning. Some point out to what extent the grown-up should be controlled as club officials are disciplined.

This is because the time of the incident itself was outside common sense. The four players went to the stadium on the night Lotte club sent a five-star hotel chef to Taiwan to provide a special meal. Seo Seung-soo, the cook who provided a special meal to Lotte players at the time, said, "I hope it will be remembered as a warm home-cooked meal for the intensive training team." No matter how much I visited the game hall, it was a day off Even if I do, I know that it doesn't mean that I should eat and cheer up and play in the game room until late at night.

The disciplinary action against even unusual field employees could be a decision to raise alarm in the club's neglectful atmosphere at some point. In an apology, Lotte said, "We will prevent a recurrence by reorganizing internal regulations so that we can restore trust with our fans. We will look back on whether there were any shortcomings in all areas, including compliance education, including the operation of the team, and strengthen the shortcomings."

The decision should be seen as an unspoken warning to the four players and the team that caused the Lotte team's direct problems. There should be something you feel when you look at the employees in front of you who are suspected of their colleagues' efforts in their thoughtless actions and are disciplined. If you are satisfied with the lack of a direct fine or suspension, you may not really be next.

Lotte club said, "We will do our best to prepare responsibly for the rest of the year so that we can show good performance to our fans in the 2026 season. "Once again, I apologize for causing concern to the fans."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.