[Official Announcement] It Was Lee Dong-wook and Lee Tae-geun After All! Lotte Appoints KS Championship-Winning Manager for 3 Years, 2 Billion Won... New Board Set with General Manager from Star Lineup of 1,621 Career Hits

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The Lotte Giants have finally announced the simultaneous appointment of a new manager and general manager. The club is pushing for comprehensive changes in both the field operations and front office, led by Manager Lee Dong-wook (53), who guided the NC Dinos to their first-ever double championship in 2020, and General Manager Lee Tae-geun (46), who recorded a career total of 1,621 hits in the KBO League.

On the 26th, Lotte officially announced, "We have appointed Manager Lee Dong-wook as our 22nd manager. The contract term is three years, with a total value of 2 billion won (500 million won signing bonus, 500 million won annual salary)." Alongside this, the club stated, "We have appointed KBO Power Enhancement Committee member Lee Tae-geun as the new general manager."

Manager Lee Dong-wook is a Lotte-affiliated coach who graduated from Busan Dongrae High School and Dong-A University. He joined Lotte in the 1997 rookie draft, selected 13th overall in the second round of the second phase, and played until 2003. After transitioning to coaching, he built a successful career. Starting his coaching journey as a defensive coach for Lotte in 2004, he went through the LG Twins before joining NC as a founding member in 2012. He was recognized for his abilities as a defensive coach and was appointed as NC's second manager in 2019.

In his first year in charge, 2019, Manager Lee elevated NC, which had finished last the previous year, to fifth place. The following year, he led the team to first place in the regular season with a record of 83 wins, 6 draws, and 55 losses (winning percentage 0.601), and achieved the club's first-ever double championship by defeating the Doosan Bears 4 games to 2 in the Korea Series. However, after dropping to seventh place in 2021 and continuing a slump in 2022, he stepped down from the helm in May. His career record as NC manager stands at 232 wins, 17 draws, and 216 losses (winning percentage 0.518).

Subsequently, in 2023, he underwent coaching training with a rookie team under the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball in the United States. Since last year, he has served as defensive coach for the national baseball team and as a member of the KBO Power Enhancement Committee. This year, he coached players as a team coach for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Lim E-seo-do (CEO).

Manager Lee Dong-wook expressed his feelings, saying, "I am very happy and feel nostalgic to return to my former team, the Lotte Giants, where I began my professional career." He added, "With data and trust, we will deliver results that reward fans who have waited for a smart baseball style and a team color with solid fundamentals."

General Manager Lee Tae-geun, appointed alongside him, was a representative outfielder of the KBO League during his playing days. After graduating from Gyeongnam Commercial High School and Korea University, he was selected 24th overall in the third round of the second phase by the Hyundai Unicorns in the 1999 rookie draft and debuted in the first division in 2003.

He then played for Hyundai, Heroes, LG, and Nexen-Kium, active for 18 years until 2020. In a career spanning 1,651 games, he recorded a batting average of 0.302, 1,621 hits, 136 home runs, 773 RBIs, and 175 stolen bases. With an on-base percentage of 0.379 and a slugging percentage of 0.439, he was a player equipped with precise hitting and base-running abilities.

After retirement, he continued activities such as coaching training, baseball commentary, and serving as a KBO Power Enhancement Committee member. This is his first time taking on the role of general manager, which oversees club operations. General Manager Lee Tae-geun stated, "Based on player experience, we aim to strategically approach tailored development for each stage of player growth to strengthen depth." He added, "We will do our best to support both the field and front office in exercising their expertise in their respective areas and looking in the same direction."

The direction presented by the club is data utilization, defensive strengthening, and improvement of the player development system. The Lotte club stated, "In line with the owner's vision and will, the club plans to improve team quality through front office innovation, including scouting, and build a competitive strength capable of leaping into the top ranks."

The club further explained, "With the appointment of Manager Lee Dong-wook, we will introduce close data sharing with the front office and objective power analysis to establish advanced baseball, while resolving defensive instability to create a team color with solid fundamentals. Additionally, we aim to communicate smoothly with the field using the expertise of player-turned-General Manager Lee Tae-geun, and strengthen the tailored development system to work toward creating a sustainable team structure."

The challenges for the new regime are clear. This year, Lotte set a KBO League record as the first club in the 10th-team system where all five starting pitchers completed the qualifying innings, but the team's home run total remained at the bottom of the league with 113. With young regular players settling into their roles, improvements are needed in offensive power, defensive stability, and player depth reinforcement.

Lotte will hold its closing camp in Miyazaki, Japan, starting November 4. This is the first schedule for the new manager and general manager to prepare for the 2027 season. Meanwhile, the inauguration ceremony for new Manager Lee Dong-wook is scheduled to be held at 2 p.m. on the 31st in the Sapphire Room on the 41st floor of the Busan Lotte Hotel.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original