[Official] The first addition to the "Ryu Ji-hyun regime" is pitching coach Kim Gwang-sam, an LG alumnus; there was a reason behind his earlier remark that he was "cautious"... Coach Jin Jong-gil also joins from NC

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"There are cautious aspects because the KBO schedule has not yet concluded."

This was a remark left by Manager Ryu Ji-hyun (55) regarding the composition of his coaching staff when he took over as the helm of the Hanwha Eagles on the 16th. And on this day, that reason was finally revealed.

The Hanwha Eagles signed Coach Kim Gwang-sam (46) and Coach Jin Jong-gil (45) on the 23rd.

With Manager Kim Kyung-moon stepping down, four coaches—Yang Sang-moon, Yang Seung-gwan, Kim Min-ho, and Kim Jae-geul—who had worked in sync with him for a long time left the team. The situation was urgent for reinforcements to lead the team according to Manager Ryu Ji-hyun's vision.

Hanwha began its closing camp in Daejeon starting from the 17th and proceeded with training despite gaps in the coaching staff.

In a situation where reinforcements were needed as soon as possible, the first signing of the "Ryu Ji-hyun regime" was finally announced. Among them, Coach Kim Gwang-sam drew particular attention.

Coach Kim Gwang-sam graduated from Shinil High School and began his playing career with the LG Twins in 1999, playing until 2016. He played alongside Manager Ryu Ji-hyun for five years until the latter's retirement in 2004.

After retiring, he entered the path of coaching starting in 2017. He also worked in sync as a pitching coach during 2021 and 2022, when Manager Ryu Ji-hyun served as the manager of LG. Coach Kim, who assisted Manager Ryu as a pitching coach at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) held last March, had recently been active as a coach for LG, which was eliminated in the junior playoffs.

The other coach, Jin Jong-gil, went through Busan High School and Dong-eui University, was drafted by the Samsung Lions in the 2000 rookie draft, and retired with the Hanwha Eagles in 2005.

After starting his coaching career at Dong-eui University in 2007, he served as a strategy, defense, and base-running coach for the NC Dinos from 2013 through this season.

Both had been working as coaches for other teams until this season. This was why Manager Ryu found it difficult to speak about the coaching staff on the 16th, when the fall baseball season had not yet concluded.

The pool of available coaches is limited, so they frequently move to other teams after the season ends. However, it can be seen that he was cautious with his remarks under the judgment that mentioning moves while the fall baseball season was still ongoing could disrupt team morale.

Coach Kim Gwang-sam and Coach Jin Jong-gil will join the closing camp in Miyazaki, Japan, departing on the 30th, to guide the players.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original