"My child is a 5-tool player, so why aren't they playing? I got a call from the player's parent... I didn't expect this in pro ball..." Former Kiwoom coach reveals shocking story

*This content was translated by AI.

It was only recently revealed that an absurd "complaint by parents about their child's deployment" — something one might hear in amateur school sports — occurred on the professional baseball field, which is dominated by ruthless competition and meritocracy. Kim Tae-wan (42), a former coach who stepped down from his position as Kiwoom Heroes' first-division hitting coach last May, has now publicly shared an incredible anecdote from his time as a professional coach.

On the 28th, Coach Kim recalled on his SNS, "An absurd episode I experienced while working as a coach," remembering a call he received one day from an unknown number.

According to Coach Kim's SNS post, the caller was none other than the parent of a player under his supervision. The parent immediately complained directly to the coach: "They told me at our private baseball lesson center that my child is a '5-tool player' (possessing hitting, power, fielding, throwing, and base-running skills), so why can't they play in games?"

Although he initially let out an awkward laugh at the unexpected question, former Coach Kim reportedly calmed his emotions and conveyed the cold reality of professional baseball as politely as possible. He firmly stated, "If they are a 5-tool player, there's no reason not to use them," adding, "This is professional baseball where players are paid to play. If you perform well, you get to play. You don't need to worry so much," before hanging up the phone.

Even after ending the call, former Coach Kim could not hide his complicated feelings for some time. He expressed his bitter sentiment with words like, "I thought about it a lot after hanging up the phone," and "I never expected this would happen even in professional baseball."

The post continues to spread across various SNS platforms. Within and outside the baseball community, there are criticisms that this incident reflects a bitter side of indiscriminate praise marketing by private baseball lesson centers and excessive interference by some parents. It serves as a reminder that in the jungle-like world of professional baseball, where outcomes are determined by cold-blooded competition, the only true measure to prove a player is not "praise from a lesson center," but "objective skill on the field."

Meanwhile, former Coach Kim Tae-wan began his coaching career as a second-division coach for Kiwoom Heroes in the 2019 season. He was later promoted to the first division for the 2025 season and served as a first-division coach for nearly two years. This has led to speculation that he may have been a former Kiwoom player himself.

Former Coach Kim left the Kiwoom team on May 21 this year, midway through the current season. The Kiwoom organization officially acknowledged his resignation, previously telling StarNews: "Coach Kim Tae-wan recently expressed his intention to resign due to personal reasons, and after careful consideration, the club decided to accept it."

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*This content was translated by AI.