Kim Hyeon-wook, the lighthouse for pitchers, bids a reluctant farewell to Lotte: "They will do better next year"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Behind the brightly lit stage of the first division, at the Sangdong stadium where dust flies and on the bullpen pitching field where he silently threw balls, he was always there.

He was the mentor who pointed out a direction to Yoon Seong-bin (27), who had lost his way due to shoulder pain and a collapsed balance, saying, "Do not just rely on power; let us find our path with breaking balls and control." He was the mentor who eased the anxiety of rookie Park Jeong-min (24) when he was sent down to the minor league, crushed by the intense pressure of the first division where even technical concerns felt like a luxury, helping him build a solid foundation. And he was the benefactor who took the hand of Hyeon Do-hoon (33), who had been pushed down to the third division after repeated releases in his ninth professional year and was physically and mentally exhausted, saying, "Let us start over from the beginning," awakening in him the "courage to pitch gently."

Coach Kim Hyeon-wook (56), who silently stood by Lotte Giants pitchers during their most painful and darkest moments, serving as a "lighthouse," is bidding a reluctant farewell to the Giants organization. Coach Kim joined Lotte as a first division conditioning coach for the 2023 season, beginning his connection with the Giants organization. Since then, he has dedicated himself to rebuilding the mound without regard for position, serving as a first division pitching coach, third division (retention group) pitching coach, first division bullpen coach, and second division pitching coach. Starting with his solid guidance of closer Choi Joon-yong (25) during the 2023 season, he has always poured his sincerity into polishing raw talents in the shadows of not only the first division but also the second and third divisions.

Although there has been no official announcement from the team yet, according to StarNews investigation, Coach Kim Hyeon-wook has packed up and left Lotte. In fact, professional baseball is cold. The parting is interpreted as a result of changes brought about by the simultaneous appointment of General Manager Lee Tae-geun and Manager Lee Dong-wook.

Players who move away from the first division scoreboard suffer from anxiety and despair that visit countless times a day. At the end of that cold cliff, Coach Kim Hyeon-wook was more than just a mentor. From the time he honed Choi Joon-yong into a closer and built the framework of the bullpen, to recently silently polishing raw talents who remained in the shadows of the second and third divisions, his gaze has always been directed toward his wandering disciples.

On the day Hyeon Do-hoon secured his first career win with tears on April 28, nine years after his professional debut, the name he thought of first was Coach Kim. In response to his disciple's confession crediting him as "the one who held me up during a truly difficult time," Coach Kim instead humbly stated, "I merely added power; it is the result of the player's effort to endure." It was exactly the image of a true teacher who left the glory on the mound entirely to the player and quietly smiled from behind.

Even at the moment of farewell, Coach Kim's mind held only his disciples. Having put an end to his journey with Lotte, Coach Kim Hyeon-wook, while speaking sparingly in a phone call with StarNews, could not hide his deep sincerity for Lotte pitchers.

Pausing briefly as if recalling the players under his care, Coach Kim left a calm but powerful remark: "Now all that remains is to do well." He then added, "Next year (our pitchers) will do better," showing his firm belief in his disciples until the very end. It sounded like a mentor's warm final encouragement, hoping they would fly higher without wavering even after he had left his position.

Although he is leaving Lotte, Coach Kim Hyeon-wook's warm teachings, who held players' hands whenever they struggled, remain intact on the mound of Lotte pitchers.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original