Shock: 'We even met just two days ago...' Why this sudden, unexpected dismissal? There was a reason the manager said his heart ached

*This content was translated by AI.

Daz Cameron (29), who had been playing as a foreign hitter for the Doosan Bears since the start of this season, has ultimately been released. The decision came as a greater surprise because he had even held a separate meeting with the manager just two days prior. That is why the manager showed a human side, saying, "It hurts my heart."

On the 28th, ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game against the KIA Tigers at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium, Doosan removed Cameron from the first-division roster.

A Doosan official stated, "We plan to request a waiver public disclosure for Cameron from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on the 29th." He added, "We plan to sign a new foreign hitter as soon as possible."

Cameron was selected by the Houston Astros in the first round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft. Ahead of this season, he attracted expectations as a foreign hitter signed by Doosan with an investment of 1 million dollars.

This season, Cameron appeared in 75 games, recording a batting average of 0.287 (279 at-bats, 80 hits), 9 home runs, 19 doubles, 3 triples, 43 RBIs, 39 runs scored, 9 stolen bases (0 caught stealing), 30 walks, 3 hit-by-pitches, 53 strikeouts, a slugging percentage of 0.473, an on-base percentage of 0.360, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.833. His batting average with runners in scoring position was 0.244. His batting average as a pinch hitter was 0.500.

However, in his recent 10 games, he struggled with a batting average of 0.206. In particular, he went hitless in 3 at-bats against the LG Twins on the 21st, hitless in 4 at-bats against the Hanwha Eagles on the 23rd, and hitless in 2 at-bats against Hanwha on the 25th.

While Cameron briefly faltered, outfielders Kim Min-seok and Ryu Seung-min showed their potential at the outfield, earning the manager's clear approval.

As a result, Cameron's playing time gradually decreased. Consequently, Cameron recently requested a direct meeting with the manager.

Doosan manager Kim Won-hyeong, the manager, said, "It seems he was also frustrated; Cameron requested a meeting on the 26th. He asked what he needed to change and what he should change to perform better from the manager's perspective. So, I told him to focus more on placing his hitting point slightly forward depending on the ball count situation in the batter's box and to swing with confidence, rather than focusing on technical aspects. He then said he would make those adjustments within two weeks. It seems he is keeping the All-Star break in mind."

Manager Kim continued, "On one hand, that part made me feel touched. It is not easy for a foreign player to come forward and express their emotions. In fact, they can voice complaints. 'I work so hard, why am I not being used?' is a complaint that ordinary foreign players can make. But I have never seen a foreign player say, 'I will try to do what the manager wants.' I highly evaluated him for that, and added, 'In that regard, he must be going through a difficult time right now,' conveying his sincerity."

However, in the end, Cameron's journey with Doosan ended here. Even though he had a separate meeting with the manager, that did not guarantee his survival on the Korean stage.

Perhaps that was why. After hearing the news of Cameron's release, the manager could not smile brightly when meeting with reporters.

Manager Kim, responding to the reporters' mention that "he was dismissed even after a meeting," said, "That is why it hurt my heart even more." He conveyed his sincerity, stating, "In fact, up until that point, I was in a situation where I could not refuse the meeting either. The decision was made with just a two-day difference. Still, until that situation was decided, he was our player, so I said what I could say," showing his human side.

Manager Kim said, "Regarding Ryu Seung-min and Kim Min-seok, while there are no guarantees, they are resources with potential. To play more in games, a position adjustment was necessary. Also, with (Ryu) Seung-min joining, while I cannot look too far ahead, I did have the judgment that he is a decent player," expressing his trust.

Doosan is looking for an infielder as a new foreign investor. Manager Kim said, "I asked them to look a bit into infielders who can handle first base and third base defensive positions. First, hitting ability is important. Our hitting has generally improved recently, but there is a slight drop in batting average with runners in scoring position. In that situation, if they have the ability to solve that, I would be grateful."

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*This content was translated by AI.