"Baseball is truly fascinating these days; players' mental fortitude has improved so much. Even after a crushing defeat, they forget it all by the next day." Even legendary manager Lee Kang-cheol expressed his admiration.

*This content was translated by AI.

"Players these days seem to forget defeats quickly; their mental strength has truly improved."

Lee Kang-cheol (60), manager of KT Wiz, recently found himself unable to contain his admiration for the exceptional resilience of KBO League players. Even if they suffer a heavy defeat the day before, they forget everything and refocus on the next game. He also offered the analysis that the improved depth of starting pitchers across the league has changed the landscape of recent baseball.

During an interview with reporters ahead of the Kiwoom Heroes game at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome on May 30, manager Lee Kang-cheol discussed the current trends in the league, mentioning the distinctly different 'strong mental fortitude' of today's players compared to his own playing days.

The manager recalled, "In the 1980s and 1990s when I played baseball, if we suffered a crushing defeat on the first day of a three-game series or fell into a losing streak, the entire team's atmosphere would completely slump." He shook his head. He continued, "If an inexplicable error occurred on the first day of a three-game series or the game went south, it was only natural to feel, 'Ah, our team is completely ruined now,' and sink to the bottom."

However, baseball today is completely different. The manager stated, "These days, even if we lose badly the previous day or an inexplicable error occurs and we lose the game, if you look at the players' expressions the next day, they act as if nothing happened, full of energy." He praised, "At first, I thought, 'Have they already forgotten everything from yesterday?' and found it fascinating, but upon closer observation, it's not that they forgot; their mental strength has truly improved." This means that the ability to not be consumed by the previous game's defeat and immediately prepare for the next game has become a core competitive strength even in professional baseball.

Manager Lee Kang-cheol smiled and said, "There must be various factors. In the past, if we played an inexplicable game, the team atmosphere would really be terrible. Former managers often used harsh language or shouted from the dugout. But in today's baseball, if we lose a game, it ends there. It's truly fascinating, and it seems to have changed a lot."

The improved depth of starting pitchers across the league is also a factor driving the turnaround in atmosphere. The manager pointed out, "In the past, if the top two starters were hit hard and the third to fifth starters had to pitch, the atmosphere would completely shift, and the chances of winning would drop sharply."

He added, "But these days, whether it's our team or the opponent, it frequently happens that the fourth or fifth starters defeat the opponent's first or second starters. No matter how badly a team loses the day before, any team can completely reset to '0' the next day and compete, making every game unpredictable. Recent baseball is truly fascinating," he remarked with a sigh.

Lee Kang-cheol, who also served as the commander for KT's Korean Series championship in the 2021 season, built an enormous career during his playing days. A legendary pitcher, he played 602 games from the 1989 season to the 2005 season, recording 152 wins, 112 losses, 53 saves, 33 holds, and an ERA of 3.29. He even had five Korean Series championship rings during his playing career. This season, he is engaged in a fierce competition with the league-leading LG Twins, trailing by 0.5 games with a record of 32 wins, 20 losses, and 1 tie (winning percentage 0.615), placing second.

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*This content was translated by AI.