'And' Manager Park Jin-man's 'This' Is a First in History! From 'Championship Failure to 4th Place, Missing the KS' — Why Samsung Front Office's Decision to 'Trust Him Again' Deserves Praise [Samsung V9]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Park Jin-man (50), a former "legendary shortstop" for the Samsung Lions, finally joined the ranks of "championship-winning managers" by leading his team to the top of the Korea Series as manager in just four years since taking the helm.

The Samsung team led by Manager Park Jin-man secured a 12-1 victory over KT Wiz in Game 5 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Korea Series (best-of-seven) held on the 8th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park.

With this, Samsung, which recorded a series record of four wins and one loss, lifted its ninth Korea Series championship trophy in franchise history, ending a drought that had lasted a whopping 12 years since 2014.

Manager Park took over as interim manager of the first division during the 2022 season. He assumed temporary command after Samsung's then-manager Hur Sam-young resigned while the team was in the midst of a 13-game losing streak, and he posted a winning percentage above .500. The team finished seventh in the standings for the 2022 season.

Following this, ahead of the 2023 season, Park signed with Samsung on terms of up to 1.2 billion won over three years (signing bonus of 300 million won, annual salary of 250 million won, and annual options of 0.5 billion won), officially taking the position of manager. In his first year as official manager, the 2023 season, the team finished eighth.

Manager Park truly made a name for himself in the 2024 season. At the time, he guided Samsung to second place in the regular season with a .549 winning percentage. He then defeated the LG Twins three games to one in the playoffs, stepping onto the Korea Series stage as a manager for the first time. Although they fell to the KIA Tigers one win to four in the Korea Series, settling for the runner-up spot, that experience became a significant asset.

Above all, the decision made by the Samsung front office is highly commendable.

In the 2025 season as well, Samsung continued to trust Manager Park, who had one year remaining on his contract. Samsung finished fourth in the regular season with a record of 74 wins, 68 losses, and two ties, for a .521 winning percentage. They then demonstrated their strength in the postseason. They won the Wild Card Decider against the NC Dinos and defeated the SSG Landers three games to one in the semi-playoffs. However, they met the Hanwha Eagles in the playoffs and fell two wins to three after a hard-fought Game 5.

A manager who failed to win the championship, and a manager who finished fourth and thus failed to advance to the Korea Series. That was Manager Park's record for two consecutive years right before his contract renewal.

In an atmosphere where managerial changes are becoming more frequent recently, it would not have been unusual for another team to replace their manager in such a situation. However, Samsung was different. They chose to trust Manager Park once more and entrusted him with the baton again.

On November 3 of last year, Samsung announced, "We have signed with Manager Park on terms including a contract period of 2+1 years, a signing bonus of 500 million won, an annual salary of 500 million won, and annual incentives of 100 million won, for a total maximum amount of 2.3 billion won, allowing him to lead the team once again." This demonstrated that the Samsung organization deeply trusted Manager Park's leadership.

The 2026 season that followed saw Samsung secure second place in the regular season with a record of 83 wins, 58 losses, and three ties. Advancing directly to the playoffs, Samsung succeeded in reaching the Korea Series after a battle that went all the way to Game 5 against KIA. And four years after taking the helm, or in his fifth season, he finally resolved the frustration of not winning a championship.

During his playing career, Manager Park was widely loved by baseball fans as the league's representative "national shortstop." In particular, in 2006, while serving as the starting shortstop and performing brilliantly, he led his team to victory with a walk-off RBI and outstanding defensive play in the 12th inning of Game 3 of the Korea Series against the Hanwha Eagles, earning the series MVP award.

With this, Manager Park became the second manager in KBO League history to earn the title of "Korea Series MVP-turned-Championship Manager," following Manager Lee Kang-cheol, who led KT to the top in 2021. Notably, Manager Park is the first in KBO League history to achieve Korea Series championships with the same team as both a player and a manager.

Interestingly, Manager Park, who had to watch Manager Lee Kang-cheol lead the Haetae Tigers to victory and claim MVP in the 1996 Korea Series during his rookie year with the Hyundai Unicorns, was able to smile when he faced off against him as the managers of both teams 30 years later in 2026.

In an interview with reporters after the championship, Manager Park emphasized, "This is my first championship as a manager, and it is vastly different from winning as a player. As a player, individual strengths combine to win, but as a manager, you must change the players' situations, the atmosphere, and the overall flow. Even substituting pitchers was extremely difficult." He added, "Winning as a manager is incredibly hard beyond words. I am truly proud of my players."

Manager Park threw more bold cards in this Korea Series. When starting pitcher Choi Won-tae struggled in Game 1, he made the sudden decision to insert rookie Jang Chan-hee as the starter for Game 4. Although Jang pitched well, allowing one run over four innings, Park also took the bold step of pulling him immediately in the fifth inning.

Manager Park, known for his gentle smile, also displayed a decisive and bold side. A typical "soft outside, strong inside" leadership style. He also demonstrated smooth communication skills. He utilized veterans effectively, including captain Koo Ja-yuk, who played as a designated hitter with fighting spirit despite a hamstring injury throughout the fall baseball season, veteran catcher Kang Min-ho, who guarded home plate despite side pain, and Choi Hyeong-woo, who took the field as left fielder. In addition, young relievers such as Won Tae-in, who changed his role from starter to bullpen and dedicated himself, along with Lee Seung-min, Bae Chan-seung, and Lee Jae-hee, all fulfilled their roles. On the offensive side, Kim Ji-chan, Lee Jae-hyun, Kim Young-woong, and Kim Sung-yoon showed further growth, completing a balance between pitching and hitting.

Now, can Samsung build a dynasty in the late 2020s with Manager Park? Expectations among Samsung fans are rising.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original