Manager Lee Dong-wook, who has taken the helm of Lotte, delivers inaugural address: "Data leads to confidence, defense leads to victory; we will build a unified one-team spirit"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Lee Dong-wook (52), appointed as the 22nd manager of the Lotte Giants, held an official inauguration ceremony and declared a revival of the franchise's prestige through "smart baseball."

Manager Lee attended the inauguration ceremony held at 2 p.m. on the 31st in the Athens Room on the 41st floor of the Busan Lotte Hotel in Busan Jin-gu, meeting with club officials and media to take his first step as the 22nd manager of Lotte.

In his inaugural address, Manager Lee stated, "It is a great honor and I feel a profound sense of responsibility to stand here as the manager of the Lotte Giants," adding, "I am well aware of how deep the passion and love you, our fans, have shown us. Therefore, our goal must not be merely completing games, but becoming 'a team that wins, and a team that gives fans pride through victory.'"

The core keyword Manager Lee presented as a milestone for the team's direction on this day was "smart baseball." In the same context, he emphasized the importance of "data and thorough preparation."

Manager Lee Dong-wook defined smart baseball by saying, "Smart baseball is not about being trapped in complex numbers or graphs on monitors," adding, "Data and analysis are not frameworks that constrain players who sweat on the field; rather, they are the most powerful weapons for maximizing individual strengths and compensating for weaknesses." He further added, "We will ensure that by accurately grasping our current position through data and preparing thoroughly one step ahead of opponents before games, we can enter the field with the confidence that 'we have a high probability of winning today.'"

Secondly, he highlighted "solid fundamentals and routines," specifically targeting the strengthening of defensive capabilities. Manager Lee explained, "No matter how precise strategies and data may be, it is ultimately the players who throw, hit, and run on the field." He continued, "Only when baseball IQ—the ability to make the best judgment instantly according to the situation—combines with unshakable fundamentals and routines does a team truly become strong." He emphasized, "Just as the saying goes, 'Offense calls for fans, defense calls for victory,' the outcome of games is ultimately decided by defense. We will dedicate more time to defensive training to enhance the completeness of our team's defense."

The final value he emphasized was "one-team" through communication and trust. Manager Lee Dong-wook, who began his professional career at Lotte in the past, reflected, "Although I joined the Lotte Giants, I spent my playing days moving between the first division and minor league for seven years without much brilliance, and after an early retirement, I began my coaching career at the young age of 30 thanks to the club's consideration." He shared his thoughts, adding, "I judged that respect and trust in players are most important, and I have spent 20 years striving to become a coach who believes in his players and wins their hearts."

He continued, "As manager, my most important role is to create an ideal environment where players can open their hearts and fully display their skills," promising, "Even for difficult training, we will help players understand the reasons through communication and train autonomously. We will build a solid culture where the coaching staff, player roster, and front office communicate horizontally and honestly through consistency rather than charisma." He also clearly stated his intention to believe in and support the preparation process and players' efforts to the end, without being swayed by momentary highs and lows.

Finally, Manager Lee vowed, "We will prepare solidly without wasting a single day so that we can respond to the cheers of fans who fill out Sajik Baseball Stadium with results," and threw down a bold challenge to the player roster: "Now let's run boldly with confidence, routines, and self-assurance."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original