'700 Wins in Sight' Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop of LG Twins Highlights 'Win-Loss Margin +20' Achievement Rather Than KBO's 9th Major Milestone "I am truly grateful to our players, coaches, and front office" [Jamsil On-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Yeom Kyung-yeop (58), manager of the LG Twins, who is on the verge of achieving the 9th 700-win milestone in KBO history, expressed hope that attention would be focused elsewhere.

Ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game against the Samsung Lions at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 24th, Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop stated, "I have been trying not to talk about 700 wins. Instead, the key point of today's game is that our team has reached the halfway mark."

According to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop has accumulated 699 wins over 14 seasons since his debut as the head coach of Nexen Heroes (now Kiwoom Heroes) in 2013. To date, only eight managers in KBO League history have surpassed 700 wins. Among active managers, only Kim Kyung-moon (68) of the Hanwha Eagles and Kim Tae-hyung (59) of the Lotte Giants hold this record.

Since joining LG in 2023, Manager Yeom has entered a second golden era. In his first year, he fulfilled LG's long-held dream by winning the Korean Series for the first time in 29 years, and last year, he reclaimed the championship throne after a two-year absence. This year, with 46 wins and 26 losses in 72 games, he leads the standings, three games ahead of second-place KT Wiz (42 wins, 1 draw, 28 losses).

The manager credited the players, coaching staff, and front office for their continued efforts. Manager Yeom emphasized, "To finish first in the regular season, a win-loss margin of +30 or more is required. At the halfway point after 72 games, our win-loss margin is +20. A +20 margin is a performance that only a perfectly balanced team can achieve."

He continued, "We have no injured players, our batting pace is on track, and our starting and relief pitchers are performing well. I believe a +20 win-loss margin is the result of a team that has everything in order. We achieved this, and despite facing many difficulties at the halfway point, I am truly grateful for the team's resilience."

He believed that the hard-fought results would ultimately prove their worth in the decisive matches from August onward. Manager Yeom conveyed his sincerity, saying, "This result was achieved because the front office, coaching staff, and players all came together as one. This achievement has given us confidence, and I believe it will have a definite impact in the second half of the season."

He further stated, "Last year, I was heavily criticized for saying we wouldn't go all out until June, but I still do not consider July to be the decisive period. Until July, we must do our best to accumulate wins without overloading the team given their current conditions. It is possible to drop to second place during this process, and that is part of baseball."

Manager Yeom recorded his first win on March 31, 2013, in a game against the Gwangju KIA Tigers. He reached 100 wins on June 6, 2014, in a match against the Seoul Mokdong Doosan Bears. He then achieved 200 wins on July 29, 2015, against the Seoul Mokdong KT Wiz, and 300 wins on September 15, 2016, at Seoul Gocheok against KT, reaching the 300th-win milestone while with Nexen alone.

After moving to SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers), Manager Yeom reached his 400th career win on May 31, 2020, in a game against the Incheon Hanwha Eagles. He continued to accumulate victories after taking charge of LG. He surpassed 500 wins on April 7, 2024, in a match against KT at Seoul Jamsil, and exceeded 600 wins on May 23, 2025, against SSG in Incheon. As of now, his win totals by team are 305 with Nexen, 101 with SK, and 293 with LG.

If Manager Yeom reaches the 700th-win milestone, he will become the oldest manager to achieve this feat at the time of accomplishment. The previous record was held by Manager Kim In-sik, who reached 700 wins on June 14, 2005, while with Hanwha at the age of 58 years, 1 month, and 13 days. Born on March 1, 1968, Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop is currently 58 years, 3 months, and 23 days old as of today (the 24th). With just one more win, he will set a new record as the oldest manager in KBO history to reach 700 wins.

The KBO plans to present a commemorative award to Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop in accordance with its award regulations if he achieves 700 wins.

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*This content was translated by AI.