"I watched the entire draft from the beginning, but I missed only 'La Bamba'," Kim Won-hyeong also smiled.

*This content was translated by AI.

"I watched the entire rookie draft from start to finish, but I missed exactly that part."

'Doosan Bears manager Kim Won-hyeong (54) shared his impressions of watching the rookie draft selection meeting held the previous day (21st), bringing a cheerful smile to reporters.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Kiwoom Heroes game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul on the 22nd, manager Kim opened up about the rookie draft when the topic arose, saying, "I watched the entire draft from beginning to end." However, regarding the scene that became a hot topic during the broadcast, he added with a hint of regret, "My father danced to 'La Bamba' music at exactly that timing, and I missed it," smiling wistfully. When reporters urged him to watch it on YouTube, the scene turned into a sea of laughter.

At the KBO rookie draft held the previous day, the father of Park Geun-seo, a left-handed pitcher from Seoul Design High School selected fourth overall in the first round by Lotte Giants, received as much spotlight as the players themselves. At the emotional moment of his son's selection, Park's father joined him on stage and grabbed the microphone, asking, "Can I sing just one song before going down?" He then passionately sang the Mexican folk song 'La Bamba' with lively dancing, turning the venue into a sea of laughter. Connecting the lyrics of 'La Bamba,' which include "I am not just a simple sailor, but a captain," to Lotte, whose home port is Busan, the city by the sea, this was a unique and heartfelt ceremony reflecting his father's wish that his son would one day become the 'captain' leading the team. It appeared to be a sign of how moved he was by his son's professional selection.

Kim Won-hyeong manager also spared no praise for infielder Kim Ji-woo, whom Doosan selected in the first round. "He is a player who would have been picked immediately in the next slot even if our team hadn't chosen him," he said, expressing satisfaction by adding, "Since he was highly evaluated as someone who must be picked in the first round, selecting him was a natural outcome."

Regarding Kim Ji-woo's playing style, he added, "Fundamentally, he is a third baseman with a strong arm capable of throwing at 150 km/h and also possesses power in batting. These days, high school players are not only physically superior but also possess mental strength and a mindset comparable to adults. If they adapt well to the team, they will quickly become a major asset." Upon hearing the player's bold ambition to hit 30 home runs at Jamsil, manager Kim Won-hyeong smiled contentedly, saying, "If he does just that, it would be more than perfect from a manager's perspective."

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*This content was translated by AI.