Park Jin-man makes a determined statement: "Games should be canceled if it rains; preventing injuries is the top priority, especially since we are at the end of the season..."

*This content was translated by AI.

Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man (50) firmly expressed his stance against forcing games to continue during rain, citing "preventing player injuries" as the top priority. As the season approaches its final stretch with increasingly fierce standings competition, concerns about injuries have also become more pronounced.

With the the 28th game approaching, Samsung is currently engaged in a tight battle for first place against KT. Had KT lost on the 27th, they could have reclaimed sole possession of first place. The gap between them is only half a game, making every match a high-stakes contest. Ahead of the Kiwoom Heroes game at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 27th, manager Park Jin-man met with reporters and said, "As you know, I keep checking the KT game scores," adding, "I thought Doosan had won before our game ended, but after checking later, they were overturned in the ninth inning, so I just kept saying 'What? What?' while laughing."

Coincidentally, Samsung faces a crucial matchup against KT this weekend. From the 28th for three days, Samsung will host KT at their Daegu home stadium for a three-game series. In head-to-head records this season, Samsung leads with eight wins and three losses. Despite this advantage, manager Park Jin-man admitted, "It would be dishonest to say the upcoming three-game series doesn't concern me," and added, "KT is also in good form right now, so we need to prepare even better to accumulate as many wins as possible."

However, weather has emerged as the biggest variable in this decisive late-season battle. Significant rain forecasts have been issued for southern regions starting from the 28th. Manager Park Jin-man stated, "If rain forces us to follow the current schedule, I've even considered that we might end up with a real 'guillotine match'—a tiebreaker game for the standings—at the very end," and added, "For now, we'll need to head to Daegu and monitor the weather closely."

Even amid the fierce late-season race for first place, manager Park's resolve remains firm. He believes that decisively canceling games due to rain is the better path than forcing play in wet conditions to protect the team. Manager Park said, "Dome stadiums like Gocheok are fine, but playing on natural grass fields during rain could lead to injuries, which worries me," and emphasized, "This is a critical final stretch where starters need to build momentum. Regardless of the team's mood, if field conditions are poor, we must absolutely not play. Protecting players and ensuring a healthy season conclusion come first." Although this half-game gap contest is crucial for securing one more win, manager Park made it clear that unexpected injuries to key players due to slippery conditions could deal a "fatal blow" capable of ruining the entire season's efforts.

This weekend's three-game series in Daegu, decided by just half a game, represents the biggest match of the 2026 KBO League season that could shake up the standings at the top. However, manager Park's focus extends beyond wins and losses toward completing the full season with an intact roster. Attention will be on whether Samsung can secure a foundation for reclaiming first place without injury setbacks amidst the weather and field conditions.

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*This content was translated by AI.