"We have never offered the managerial position to Takatsu Advisor." Lotte directly denies Japanese championship-winning manager appointment rumors... "It is also not true that he recommended a general manager"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The Lotte Giants, which are currently in the process of appointing a new head coach, clearly drew a line regarding rumors related to Takatsu Shingo (58), a special advisor who is a former Japanese Series-winning manager from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

A Lotte club official emphasized in a phone call with StarNews on the 21st, "The club has never offered the managerial position to Takatsu Advisor. The current process of appointing a head coach is underway, and it is also not true that Takatsu Advisor recommended a third party (commentator Lee Taek-geun) as general manager."

This comes amid various rumors emerging both inside and outside the club as Lotte's head coach appointment process has been prolonged. Takatsu Advisor joined Lotte this February. He played as a player, served as a coach and minor league manager for the Yakult Swallows in Nippon Professional Baseball, and then served as the first-division head coach from 2020 to 2025. In particular, he led Yakult to victory in the 2021 Japanese Series, earning recognition for his leadership.

He is a figure who also played as a player in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States, Korea, and Taiwan, and has been inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. When Lotte signed Takatsu Advisor last February, it explained that he would help with the systematic development of players, discussions on team direction, and the recruitment of foreign and Asian quota players.

However, as the head coach appointment process dragged on, rumors also emerged regarding Takatsu Advisor's future and role. Lotte finished the 2026 season in seventh place with a record of 64 wins, 3 draws, and 77 losses (winning percentage 0.454), concluding its regular season final game against the Doosan Bears on the 12th last month. It failed to advance to the postseason for the ninth consecutive year since 2017.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung (59), who took office in October 2023 with a three-year contract worth a total of 2.4 billion won, has completed his entire contract term. The manager, who led the Doosan Bears to seven consecutive Korean Series appearances and three championships, finished in seventh place for the third consecutive year with Lotte.

Lotte is reportedly currently in final deliberation over the candidate pool for the next head coach, including Manager Kim. While considering both the possibility of re-signing the current head coach and appointing a new manager, no final decision has yet been made. A Lotte club official stated, "We are also prioritizing the appointment of a head coach. We plan to announce it immediately once the appointment process is completed."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original