"From the world's best to the worst" — New Lotte Giants Manager Lee Dong-wook diagnoses team after first in-person meeting... "I want to play consistent and smart baseball" [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Lee Dong-wook (52), the new skipper of the Lotte Giants, emphasized the need for change from his very first meeting with the player roster. The biggest problem he observed from the outside was the team's severe inconsistency. Overcoming this and building a team capable of winning consistently is his primary goal.

In a phone interview with StarNews on the 27th, Manager Lee stated, "From the outside, Lotte appeared to be a team that swung between being composed of the world's best players at times and truly the worst players at other times." He added, "I believe a strong team is one that can perform consistently without such fluctuations. Building a team capable of consistency is my job," outlining his objective.

Appointed as the 22nd manager of Lotte on the 26th, Lee signed a three-year contract worth a total of 2 billion won (500 million won signing bonus and 500 million won annual salary). As the coach who led the NC Dinos to their first-ever combined championship in 2020, he returned to his former team as a manager after 23 years, having started his professional career there in 1997. Lee graduated from Busan Baejeong Elementary School, Dacheon Middle School, Dongrae High School, and Dong-A University. He joined Lotte in the second round of the 1997 rookie draft, selected 13th overall. After playing as a player until 2003, he began his coaching career the following year as Lotte's defensive coach.

Returning to Busan after a long absence, Manager Lee said, "Coming back home is always good. There are many things I need to do and want to do, but first and foremost, the team producing results and winning day by day is my biggest goal." He continued, "I moved to Busan yesterday (the 26th) and reported for duty today (the 27th), watching the players practice. My immediate primary goal right now is to gradually develop these players into a team that can perform at 100% of their ability on the field."

With extensive field experience, Manager Lee has consistently been among the candidates for managerial positions over the years. After leaving Lotte, he served as the defensive coach for the LG Twins' minor league team before joining NC in 2012. From 2013 to 2017, he served as the first division defensive coach, and in 2018, he coached players in the reserve group. During his tenure overseeing first division defense at NC, the team boasted a solid defensive organization and was highly regarded for its use of data and ability to develop promising players.

After taking over as NC's second manager in 2019, he led the previous year's last-place team to fifth place. In 2020, the team finished first in the regular season with a record of 83 wins, 6 draws, and 55 losses (a .601 winning percentage), and then defeated the Doosan Bears 4 games to 2 in the Korea Series to achieve their first combined championship. However, they finished seventh in 2021, and he stepped down in May of the following year due to poor performance.

He continued to accumulate experience as a coach thereafter. In 2023, he underwent training as a bench coach for the rookie team under the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States. Since 2025, he has served as the defensive coach for the national baseball team and as a member of the KBO Power Enhancement Committee. He also coached national team players at this year's World Baseball Classic (WBC) and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

He did not rush his first meeting with the players either. Manager Lee said, "Today was my first time meeting and talking to the players here. I cannot speak with every player in one day, but I plan to set future directions by talking with the players day by day."

The ultimate team color he pursues is "smart baseball." Manager Lee stated, "I want to play baseball smartly. If players know what they need to do and can follow their own routines, I believe they can play smart and intelligent baseball." He added, "Plays suited to specific situations must also be well-prepared. If the plans for entering games are precise based on data, I consider that smart baseball."

As one solution for smart baseball, including defense, he has devised customized training for each player. Having built a long career as a defensive coach, Manager Lee explained, "My role is to make those who are good even better. For players who are slightly lacking in defense, I have plans to train them according to their individual needs rather than having everyone do the same practice."

The roster currently includes key players such as captain Jeon Jun-woo (40) and Kim Won-jung (33), who are conducting final training at Sajik Baseball Stadium, while some players have begun individual training at overseas specialized development institutions. A final camp will be held in Miyazaki, Japan, starting November 4.

Manager Lee will officially begin preparations for the 2027 season with his official inauguration ceremony to be held at the Lotte Hotel in Busan at 2 p.m. on the 31st.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original