"He's a rookie, why would you reprimand him?" Manager Lee Kang-cheol warmly embraced 19-year-old shortstop Lee Kang-min, who was in tears.

*This content was translated by AI.

A 19-year-old high school rookie shortstop who felt the wall of professionalism and wept bitterly. Watching his tears, KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) was also troubled. Although he made the bold move of substituting him mid-inning, it was not a "reprimand" but "protection."

On the 31st, ahead of the away game against Kiwoom Heroes in the "2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League" at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome, manager Lee Kang-cheol spoke to reporters about rookie shortstop Lee Kang-min (19), who was substituted during the previous day's (30th) game.

Lee Kang-min had a disappointing defensive play in the third inning the previous day against Kiwoom at Gocheok, followed by a critical throwing error in the bottom of the fourth, after which he was immediately replaced by Kwon Dong-jin. Since the substitution occurred mid-inning, it appeared to be a typical "reprimand substitution." Returning to the dugout, Lee Kang-min listened to advice from captain Jang Sung-woo and burst into tears, evoking sympathy from fans.

However, manager Lee Kang-cheol had a different perspective. When asked by reporters, the manager waved his hands and replied with a smile, "It was not a reprimand substitution. He's just a 19-year-old rookie who just joined the team; why would we reprimand him?"

The manager answered with a broad smile, but soon returned to being a warm captain concerned about the wounds the rookie might have suffered. Manager Lee explained the substitution by saying, "I felt that if I left him in, both the pitchers and (Lee Kang-min) would completely collapse. Continuing to play when his mental state is completely shaken would actually be harmful to the player. I removed him for protection. Since the game must be played, I did it that way."

He also added a word about the tears Lee Kang-min shed the previous day. The manager added, "Everyone around said they found it cute. I saw him during training earlier, and today he was smiling."

In the professional world, one learns through failure. Although he had to swallow the bitter cup of being substituted out on the cold mound and field, with the sincere trust of the manager and the warm embrace of his seniors, KT's "future," Lee Kang-min, is growing more today than he was yesterday.

Meanwhile, KT set its starting lineup against Kiwoom's starting pitcher Park Jun-hyun as follows: Choi Won-jun (right fielder), Kim Hyun-soo (designated hitter), Ryu Hyeon-in (first baseman), Hiliard (left fielder), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Kim Sang-soo (second baseman), Bae Jeong-dae (center fielder), Han Seung-taek (catcher), and Kwon Dong-jin (shortstop). The starting pitcher was Boesley. Lee Kang-min, who had shed tears, was initially left out of the starting lineup.

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*This content was translated by AI.