"(Moon) Jung-bin, it's okay to make mistakes again." Why did Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop start the error-prone third baseman for two consecutive days? [Busan Field Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) continued to start promising left-handed power hitter Moon Jung-bin (23) for two straight games despite his defensive errors.

On the 28th, LG announced its starting lineup for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season road game against the Lotte Giants at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium.

LG's lineup that day featured Song Chan-ui (left fielder), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Austin Dean (designated hitter), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Moon Jung-bin (first baseman), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Hong Chang-ki (right fielder), Lee Ju-heon (catcher), and Shin Min-jae (second baseman). The starting pitcher was Jang Hyun-sik.

Lotte countered with a lineup of Hwang Seong-bin (center fielder), Noh Jin-hyuk (first baseman), Victor Reyes (left fielder), Han Dong-hee (designated hitter), Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), Go Seung-min (second baseman), Park Seung-wook (third baseman), and Son Seong-bin (catcher). The starting pitcher was Jeremy Biesli.

LG started left-handed power hitters Song Chan-ui and Moon Jung-bin for two consecutive games. However, Moon Jung-bin's defensive position was changed from third base to first base. The previous day, Moon Jung-bin showed two disappointing defensive plays. In the bottom of the second inning with two outs and runners on first and second, he fielded a ground ball hit by Son Seong-bin well, but the throw to first base had a large bounce. In the bottom of the third inning with one out and runners on first and third, when third baseman Na Seung-yeop was heading for home, the ball he received from Park Dong-won was thrown wildly.

Before the game, Manager Yeom stated, "Yesterday (27th), I knew (Moon) Jung-bin could make defensive errors, so I still started him. If he doesn't play, his skills won't improve. In my view, even if defense is lacking, there are times when he must be used. There are experiences he needs to go through."

He viewed the previous day's errors as taxes incurred in the process of growth. After the previous game, Manager Yeom shared an anecdote with Moon Jung-bin. He told Moon, "You've had a significant experience. It's okay to make errors again. I knew you'd make errors, which is why I started you. The only regret is that it didn't lead to runs, so don't stress about it. I've never criticized you for this, and no one else has either."

He continued, "I understand you're making mistakes now. If you can't do what you're capable of, you can't play, but I'm not expecting you to do things beyond your ability. Yesterday, your throwing posture and stance were all difficult. That's exactly when you need to focus more on balancing your body and throwing accurately." Moon Jung-bin's response was, "I'll keep that in mind from now on."

Manager Yeom added, "In such situations, you must think ahead: who the batter is, whether to touch the base, or whether to throw to first base. That's how you grow. However, mistakes must not be repeated. A single mistake is a tax the team must accept anyway, but it cannot happen in critical moments."

He further emphasized, "Given the significant experience gained, you won't repeat mistakes. Still, we're currently in a situation where the team has built a lead, which is why we're conducting this test. If we were fighting for fifth place in the standings, we absolutely couldn't use Moon Jung-bin at third base. That's why strong performance is necessary to enable development."

Moon Jung-bin, the erratic third baseman, will continue to be seen in the future. This is also the manager's conviction. Manager Yeom stated, "First base can be played anytime. Compared to the relatively easier first base, you need to play in more valuable positions when you're young. That's how (Moon) Jung-bin's value will change. Watching him at third base versus first base makes a huge difference in value. This applies to both the team and Jung-bin."

He continued, "I always assign the most difficult tasks first. Once you master the difficult ones, first base becomes much easier. The same applies to telling Choo Se-hyun to play shortstop. It's far easier to play shortstop first and then move to third base if needed, rather than starting at first or third base and then trying shortstop."

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*This content was translated by AI.