"A new record of 23285." Doosan finally moved 'Recruitment of FA → Joining the ultra-luxury coaching staff' → wrote the club's new history

*This content was translated by AI.

An exhibition game, not a regular season. However, baseball fans' passion for "intuitive" is undaunted. At the center of it is the Doosan Bears. In the first two consecutive exhibition games in Jamsil this year, Doosan made a new history of being the largest audience in the team's history. Analysts say it was possible because Doosan made a bold move ahead of this season.

Doosan played two consecutive 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League exhibition games against the KIA Tigers at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 21st and 22nd. It lost 6-11 on the 21st and then drew 0-0 on the 22nd. Doosan ranked second with six wins, one draw and three losses, and KIA ranked ninth with three wins, two draws and five losses, respectively.

It was the first exhibition game held at Jamsil Stadium this year. On the previous day, 22,100 spectators were in Jamsil bee. And 23,285 spectators entered Jamsil Stadium on the same day, recording a sellout (12:41).

Doosan set a new record for the largest number of spectators in the team's exhibition games by selling out on the 22nd following the 21st. Before the 21st, the previous record was 21,000 people who entered the exhibition game against KIA at Jamsil Stadium on March 25, 2012. A Doosan official said, "We operated all seats except for the center and exciting seats in this two consecutive games." Tickets were sold at a 50% discount on regular season tickets.

Doosan is preparing for a major leap forward this season. Doosan, which built a dynasty in the late 2010s, received a disappointing report card last season. He ranked ninth with 61 wins, six draws and 77 losses.

I couldn't be satisfied. As soon as I finished the last season, I started to move actively. After the end of the season, he took the helm of the new coach Kim Won-hyung. In addition, a large number of prestigious new coaches were recruited to form a so-called "super luxury" coaching staff. Head coach Hong Won-ki, quality control (QC) coach Son Si-heon, pitching coach Jung Jae-hoon, batting coach for the 1st and 2nd teams Lee Jin-young, and defensive coach Son Ji-hwan have been newly recruited.

He also did not spare any investment in FA. First of all, he signed a surprise contract by giving 8 billion won to outside FA Park Chan-ho. It was FA No. 1 surprise contract. Lee Young-ha (up to 5.2 billion won for four years), Choi Won-joon (up to 3.8 billion won for four years), and Cho Ha-sung (up to 1.6 billion won for four years) were all pressed down.

Ko Young-seop, CEO of Doosan Bears, delivered an unusually honest and detailed message to the team at the inaugural ceremony in January. At the time, CEO Koh said, "Last season, we received a report card of '9th place'. "It was a number that didn't match the name 'Doosan Bears,'" he said. "It was a regrettable performance that we didn't want to admit, just for us who had a dynasty period not long ago. So as soon as the season ended, I decided to change everything about the club. It was a natural and urgent choice for us, who have no place to retreat anymore," he said.

"Since last fall, our club has chosen and prepared for drastic changes and challenges with a bone-cutting mindset. Now it's time for the players sitting here to answer. It's time for the players to move. "The plan can be made by the club and the coaches, but it is ultimately up to our players to complete it," he stressed.

Above all, Doosan is focusing more on satisfying its fans' needs this year. It is the first KBO team to hold a virtual run, and it is breathing with fans by opening a collaborative pop-up store in "Mapdal SEOUL Seongsu" in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. He also prepared a new cheerleader, recruited another cheerleader, and prepared to entertain Doosan fans. What kind of performance will Doosan show this season. Doosan fans' expectations are rising even higher.

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*This content was translated by AI.