'From 8th place in 2018 to eight consecutive postseasons': After General Manager Cha Myeong-seok took office, LG's autumn baseball has become a routine rather than a challenge.

*This content was translated by AI.

Over eight years, has been guarded and many players have changed. What hasn't changed is that LG Twins have played baseball every autumn. Now, for LG, autumn baseball has become a daily reality rather than a challenge.

On the 24th, LG suffered a comeback loss, 4-6, against Lotte Giants in their regular-season home game at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. Their seven-game winning streak ended, halting their pursuit of first place.

Nevertheless, the fact that LG will continue playing baseball this autumn remains unchanged. Earlier, on the 22nd, LG secured a spot in the postseason (PS) regardless of remaining game results after Samsung Lions defeated NC Dinos 8-5. This marks eight consecutive years of autumn baseball since 2019.

The weight of the number "eight" becomes even clearer when examining KBO League history. The longest record is held by Samsung, which made the postseason for 12 consecutive years from 1997 to 2008. Haitai Tigers (now KIA Tigers) reached the postseason for nine straight years from 1986 to 1994. Samsung also participated in autumn baseball for nine consecutive seasons in 1984 and from 1986 to 1993. In 1985, no postseason was held due to a combined championship win across both halves of the season.

LG follows next with eight consecutive postseason appearances from 2019 to 2026. Reflecting on the fact that LG was once far removed from autumn baseball evokes a sense of change over time. After finishing as runners-up in the Korean Series in 2002, LG failed to reach the postseason for ten consecutive years. They experienced autumn baseball again in 2013, 2014, and 2016, but consistency was lacking. Following a sixth-place finish in 2017, they dropped to eighth place in 2018.

Coincidentally, LG's eight consecutive postseason appearances exactly coincide with the tenure of General Manager Cha Myeong-seok (57). After the 2018 season, the club entrusted Cha, who had previously served as both a player and coach for the team, with front office duties. His goal upon taking office was not limited to short-term results. At that time, Cha stated, "We will lay the foundation to become a prestigious club in the long term."

And over the following eight years, he proved his words through results. After finishing fourth in 2019, the first year of Cha's tenure, LG climbed one step each season: fourth in 2020, third in 2021, and second in 2022. In 2023, under Head Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop (58), they won both the regular season and the Korean Series for the first time in 29 years, finally breaking a long championship drought. They secured another combined championship in 2025 and have reached the postseason every year without fail up to this year.

Rather than building a strong team by pouring in large sums of money at once, these eight years were built through long-term development plans, external reinforcements, and a clear division of roles between the field and the front office. Especially under Coach Yeom's leadership, the relationship between the two has been one of the forces that allowed LG to maintain its roster steadily.

After winning the combined championship last year, Head Coach Yeom received the Manager of the Year award at the Golden Glove Ceremony. He expressed his sincere gratitude by saying, "There were many difficult moments during the season, but whenever I faced challenges, I was able to operate with conviction as a manager." He directly mentioned General Manager Cha along with the club's executives and coaching staff.

This year also saw numerous moments requiring front office decisions. From the start of the season, LG faced constant uncertainties on the mound. Closer Yu Young-chan (29) was sidelined due to elbow surgery, and foreign pitcher Yoni Chirinos (33) struggled with elbow pain and poor performance. In April, General Manager Cha personally traveled to the United States to explore the possibility of bringing back Ko Woo-seok (28), who had challenged in Major League Baseball, while simultaneously searching for a replacement foreign starting pitcher.

This year, the foreign player market was so tight that most of the 10th KBO League teams complained about having "no available players." The pool of eligible signings fluctuated frequently depending on roster situations in Major League Baseball clubs. When LG failed to find their desired starting resources, they broadened their options. General Manager Cha shared the market situation with Coach Yeom and expanded the candidate pool to include relief pitchers as well. In doing so, they signed Yassel Lios (33), who throws pitches exceeding 160 km/h in top speed.

If results fell short of expectations, they acted again. In July, LG parted ways with Lios and signed Carlos Carasco (39), who has 112 career wins in Major League Baseball. Carasco recorded six wins and two losses with an ERA of 3.55 over nine games, bolstering the starting rotation and allowing LG to re-enter the race for top positions. They also closely monitored Ko Woo-seok's situation. Although it seemed his return this year was unlikely after being called up to the Big Leagues in July, when he was placed on designated-for-assignment (DFA) status in the U.S. last month, negotiations moved quickly. His return to his former team was decided within four days. After returning, Ko contributed to the bullpen by recording a save for the first time in 1,081 days.

Of course, LG's eight consecutive postseason appearances cannot be explained solely as the achievement of one individual. Over this period, the managerial position changed from Ryu Joong-il (63) to Ryu Ji-hyun (55) and then to Yeom Kyung-yeop, while countless players and coaching staff accumulated victories on the field. Efforts by scouts who discovered rookies, development departments that nurtured them, and the front office that strengthened the roster as needed continued throughout.

General Manager Cha's role was also part of this process. However, it is clear that since he took office in 2019, LG has reached the postseason every single season without exception. During this time, they experienced two combined championships and set a record this year as only the fourth team in KBO League history to make eight consecutive postseason appearances. In recent years, with the establishment of a 10-team system and increasing parity in team strength, LG is the only club to have reached the postseason for eight straight years.

LG, which finished eighth in 2018, has not missed a single autumn since the following year. Whether General Manager Cha's vision of "laying the foundation for a prestigious club" has been fully realized remains to be seen. However, at least over the past eight years, records confirm that LG has transformed into a team that plays baseball every autumn.

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*This content was translated by AI.