Lee Ho-jun reveals the secret behind the sudden replacement of Davidson: "Today is his farewell game; he wants to start as usual, say goodbye to home fans, and then leave..."

*This content was translated by AI.

"This is absolutely not because Davidson underperformed. He expressed a strong desire to say goodbye to home fans one last time before leaving, so we decided he will play normally today."

NC Dinos manager Lee Ho-jun (50) openly discussed the decision to part ways with foreign batter Matt Davidson, who was the home run champion in the 2024 season, conveying both gratitude and regret toward his player. The NC organization announced on the 26th that it would end its contract with Davidson after the game on that day. After much deliberation, the club made the tough decision to replace the foreign batter to strengthen its long-term roster and boost competitiveness in the second half of the season.

Amid the sudden news of the split, manager Lee Ho-jun met with StarNews ahead of NC's home game against Kiwoom Heroes on the 26th, explaining the final conversation with Davidson and the behind-the-scenes story behind the replacement.

Manager Lee Ho-jun stated, "We have been in continuous discussions with the club every month regarding team strengthening. The club made this decision after deep consideration to ensure sustained team improvement, and I fully agreed with their intent, so I prepared accordingly." He then clarified the background of the replacement.

On this day, NC faced Kiwoom starting pitcher Bae Dong-hyun and set its starting lineup as follows: Kim Ju-won (shortstop), Lee Woo-seong (left fielder), Park Min-woo (second baseman), Davidson (first baseman), Park Geon-woo (designated hitter), Kwon Hee-dong (right fielder), Kim Hwi-jip (third baseman), Kim Hyung-jun (catcher), and Oh Jang-han (center fielder). NC's starting pitcher is Kim Tae-kyung.

Notably, Davidson was included in the starting lineup as usual despite it being the day he would leave the team, drawing attention. This effectively serves as his farewell game. Regarding this, Manager Lee said, "He has been an excellent player who has treated Changwon home fans very well. Yesterday after the Lotte game ended, I spoke with him, and he expressed a strong desire to say a final goodbye to the home fans. Since his wish was firm and our views aligned, we decided he would start normally today to deliver that message." He will play the game exactly as usual, without any substitute or special event appearance.

The manager further added, "This is absolutely not because Davidson underperformed. Looking toward the future, we determined that at this point, we need a batter with slightly better contact ability."

Lee also shared Davidson's reaction upon being notified of the split. "As a foreign player, he might have been somewhat surprised, but he calmly accepted it, saying, 'In baseball, everyone goes through such experiences. I understand.' I, too, was flustered about what to say since this is the first time I've sent a foreign player mid-season as a manager. However, seeing his composure until the end, I felt he was indeed a great player and felt only gratitude."

Finally, the manager added, "Davidson hit home runs and received the Outstanding Player Award beautifully. I hope he can wrap up his time with NC in a beautiful way," offering sincere support for the departing player.

Meanwhile, NC is currently proceeding with procedures to sign a new foreign player to replace Davidson and plans to make an official announcement as soon as the contract is finalized. Regarding the replacement foreign batter, Manager Lee stated, "Our club is well known for selecting foreign players well. We are waiting for a player who can adapt well to the team regardless of position and deliver strong performances."

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*This content was translated by AI.