[Official Announcement] Former Lotte Giants Manager Heo Moon-hwe Returns as Chief Coach After Five Years! Lee Dong-wook's Coaching Staff Confirmed... Park Seung-min Appointed Futures League Manager

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Former manager Heo Moon-hwe (54), who previously led the Lotte Giants, is returning to his former team after approximately five years. This time, he will serve as chief coach and hitting advisor, assisting Manager Lee Dong-wook (52). The Futures League team will be commanded by Park Seung-min (49), a pitching development expert.

On the 28th, Lotte officially announced, "We have appointed Coach Heo Moon-hwe as chief coach and hitting advisor for the first division, and assigned Manager Park Seung-min to the role of Futures League manager."

The most notable figure is Coach Heo Moon-hwe. During his playing career, Coach Heo played for the LG Twins and Lotte, and after retiring, he served as a hitting coach and chief coach for the Heroes. He took over as Lotte's manager in 2020 but was dismissed mid-season in May 2021 due to poor performance. Approximately five years and five months later, he will once again wear the Lotte uniform as a coach.

Coach Heo is highly regarded for his hitting instruction, which involves precise analysis of each player's swing mechanics and physical strengths. In fact, Kiwoom Heroes' Song Seong-moon stated in an interview with StarNews in 2024 that he received personal coaching from Coach Heo after the end of the 2022 season to correct his hitting mechanics, which subsequently improved his exit velocity and power. Since then, Song Seong-moon has grown into a player representing the league and advanced to Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States.

The Lotte organization also introduced Coach Heo as someone who is "excellent at individualized hitting instruction, maximizing players' potential and playing a key role in building a powerful team lineup. Additionally, he is a leader who maintains smooth, player-centered communication and derives practical results through mental management."

The Futures League team will be led by Manager Park Seung-min. After retiring from his playing career, Manager Park served as a pitching coach for the Heroes, KT Wiz, and Hanwha Eagles. In particular, he has been recognized for his development experience tailored to the growth stages of promising players and his coaching ability utilizing data analysis. This year at Hanwha, he also contributed to the development of young pitchers. In May, he recommended Park Jun-young, a developmental player he had observed in the Futures League, to the first division. Park Jun-young delivered a performance as the winning pitcher by pitching five scoreless innings in his debut game.

The Lotte organization introduced Manager Park Seung-min of the Futures League as someone who "has played an important role in building depth by focusing on players' stage-by-stage growth and has earned high trust and praise from young pitchers. Furthermore, he is evaluated as a results-oriented leader who continues meticulous communication tailored to players' levels based on data analysis and proves potential through practical results."

The positions of other coaching staff for the first division have also been determined. Coach Jo Won-woo will be in charge of the defense department. Coach Jo was also the manager who last led Lotte to the postseason in 2017. In the hitting department, Coach Lee Byung-gyu and Coach Lee Seong-gon will coach players alongside Chief Coach Heo Moon-hwe. The pitching department will be handled by Coach Im Kyung-wan and Coach Lee Jae-yul, while Battery Coach Yong Deok-han and Strategy Coach Jo Jae-young will also join the first division roster.

Manager Lee Dong-wook stated, "We have assembled a coaching staff suitable for strengthening defense and utilizing data. We will do our best to build a strong team capable of rising to the top ranks."

Lotte had previously announced changes in both the field and front office by simultaneously appointing Manager Lee Dong-wook and General Manager Lee Tae-geun (46) on the 26th. The manager, who led NC Dinos to their first-ever integrated championship in 2020, was offered a three-year contract worth a total of 2 billion won. Data utilization, defensive strengthening, and individualized player development were presented as new operational directions. This change follows Lotte's failure to advance to the postseason for the ninth consecutive year, finishing seventh this year with a record of 64 wins, 3 draws, and 77 losses (winning percentage .454).

General Manager Lee Tae-geun also emphasized the role of the new coaching staff. General Manager Lee said, "We will work to strengthen roster depth by creating an individualized development system with the newly appointed coaching staff," adding, "We will finalize additional coaching staff appointments as soon as possible and begin preparations for the 2027 season."

Lotte will hold Manager Lee Dong-wook's inauguration ceremony at the Busan Lotte Hotel at 2 p.m. on the 31st. Following this, the team is scheduled to enter its closing camp in Miyazaki, Japan, starting November 4.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original