"Where's the rebuilding in professional baseball?" Yeom Kyung-yeop's paradox, who knows well about Yook Sung, said, "Why" young backup is meaningless

*This content was translated by AI.

"Where is the rebuilding in professional baseball?"

Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58), who is leading the successful rebuilding of the LG Twins, asked if there was any rebuilding in Korean professional baseball.

Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop is known as a master who has won two integrated titles in the past three years, including his first win in 29 years at LG in 2023. The reason why LG has been consistently classified as a favorite in recent years is that players and prospects who have not received attention under his leadership have become the main players. A representative example is that Shin Min-jae (30), a former nurturing player, has grown into a second baseman in the Golden Glove. Young left-handers such as Son Joo-young (28) and Song Seung-ki (24) raised them as starting pitchers, and rookie Kim Young-woo (20) also established himself as a must-win group in his first year of debut.

As young players grew, veteran players were given enough rest and were able to perform consistently until the end of the season. In addition, it will be able to not be shaken much by the departure of some players. It is an ideal rebuild for baseball fans.

However, manager Yeom Kyung-yeop, who is considered to be "a good knowledge of fostering," also did not prematurely describe such a process as rebuilding. Manager Yeom said, "Where is the rebuilding in professional baseball. I've been watching professional baseball for 44 years, but I haven't seen a successful team among the teams that shouted rebuilding yet. "I haven't seen a team with coaches, presidents, and general managers left in three years of rebuilding," he said.

In 2016, the Nexen Heroes (currently the Kiwoom Heroes) were considered a similar case. At that time, Nexen's Kang Jung-ho and Park Byung-ho advanced to the Major League, and closer Son Seung-rak and main outfielder Yoo Han-joon moved to FA. Moreover, foreign ace Andy Van Hekken left for the Japanese Professional Baseball (NPB), and Cho Sang-woo and Han Hyun-hee also underwent surgery, which was expected to be the lowest in the season.

However, as Kim Ha-sung grew into the main shortstop and Lee Bo-geun, Kim Sang-soo, and Kim Se-hyun quickly settled in the must-win group, Nexen created a stir by ranking third in the season. Manager Yeom responded, "Even then, it was possible because I predicted that the players would be excluded from three years ago and prepared step by step. He replied, "I can't (rebuild) without preparation."

This means that the rebuilding without a long-term blueprint and a phased plan at the club level is nothing but an empty gangjeong. LG, which has recently been raising the best players, was also able to do so because Cha Myung-seok (57), the general manager who took office in 2019, and Yeom's hands and feet were aligned.

Among the fielders, Chun Sung-ho (29), Lee Jae-won (27), and Lee Young-bin (24) were the players that coach Yeom has been working on recently. Chun Sung-ho, who joined last year through a trade, was consistently included in the first team until the Korean Series, even though it was not a special performance.

Lee Jae-won is a promising right-handed slugger who returned after performing well in the Armed Forces Sports Unit (Sangmu) last year. Lee Young-bin is also considered to have the potential to grow into the second Oh Ji-hwan (36) as an infield prospect with good shoulders and long-shot power.

Coach Yeom said, "Lee Young-bin is going the way of Cheonseong Lake last year. I don't think there is ever growth without process. It took Lee Young-bin two years to make the first team entry. I took two years to prepare, so I was able to get into the entry now. He also explained that through this year's process, we will receive even more opportunities next year.

He said, "The probability of failure decreases only after such a process. Koo Bon-hyuk has grown into such a completely main backup, and so will Chun Sung-ho. Levelling up should be done step by step. If young players become the main players, Oh Ji-hwan, Park Dong-won and Park Hae-min will (naturally) come in as backup in two to three years," he added.

Young players have grown step by step and regarded the team naturally passed down by veterans as the most ideal. Coach Yeom said, "There will be a time later when another young player grows up and Moon Bo-kyung and Shin Min-jae step down as backup. "You have to rotate in such a circular manner to be systematically established," he said. There is no point in having a young player in the backup. It doesn't help the team. In the end, a team with a veteran in the backup will get good results. It can be seen that such a virtuous cycle is the development system that LG wants to go and is completed," he added.

I believed that the process would be a time for veterans to naturally design their lives after retirement. Coach Yeom said, "Now Oh Ji-hwan raises Koo Bon-hyuk and teaches Lee Young-bin. Moon Bo-kyung and Shin Min-jae are watching the process from the side. What if those players become seniors. I will copy it naturally," he said.

"Veterans can naturally play as backup for three to four years, advise key players, and prepare as coaches as they grow up. Then, when the main players are tired and the team is in trouble, if they play 70 to 80 games, there is no obstacle to the team's performance. You can also give yourself a proper rest while nurturing. "The nurturing system I imagine in the KBO League is to repeat it, and I think it's a healthy team," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.