With a ‘desperate’ heart…FA 3rd entry dropped, 3rd KS chance dashed

Cold determination took precedence over priestly affection. Manager Yoon Kyung-yeop, who must lead the LG Twins to their first championship in 29 years (since 1994), pondered his Korean Series roster (30 players) to the last minute. There was no place for free agent third baseman Seo Geon-chang (34).

Yoon and Seo played for Nexen in 2014, when they both managed and played for the team that won the Korean Series, and Seo was at the peak of his powers when he became the first and only player in the KBO to reach the 200-hit plateau. Nexen fell short in the Korean Series, losing to Samsung in four games to two.

Yeom led the Nexen until the 2016 season, and later served as SK’s general manager (2017-2018) and manager (2019-2020). Seo played his second Korean Series with Kiwoom in 2019 after playing in 2014. They finished as runners-up, losing to Doosan in four games.

At LG, Yeom and Seo were reunited after seven years together. Seo was traded from Kiwoom to LG during the 2021 season, and Yeom was named LG’s head coach last fall.

The reunited master and protégé had a great chemistry, and Yeom tried to rebound Seo’s recent slump in the last two years, but it was not easy.

Seo donned an LG uniform during the 2021 All-Star break in a one-for-one trade for pitcher Chung Chan-heon. LG traded for a starting pitcher to address a long-standing position of need at second base. However, Seo failed to solve the second base problem after being traded to LG in the 2021 season, batting just 2-for-47 (58 RBI in 235 at-bats) with 24 RBI in 68 games.

After the 2021 season, Seo became eligible for free agency but opted not to sign. In 2022, Seo’s performance declined further due to poor play and injuries. He played in only 77 games and batted just 2-for-2 (49 hits in 219 at-bats).

Last fall, Yeom and Seo reunited. Yeom, who knows Seo better than anyone, was hopeful that Seo would rebound. In the offseason, he worked on ways to get back to his hitting form and break out of his slump.

It seemed to pay off, as Seo batted first in the tournament (3-for-6, 2 RBI). He was the top hitter and batted second. However, he dropped to the bottom of the batting order, going just 2-for-16 (1-for-2, 5 RBI) in the first three games and never rebounded.

Seo was removed from the first team roster in mid-May. He batted 2-for-7 (18-for-87) and made the most errors (nine) at second base in the league at the time.

After being sent down to the second team, Seo didn’t return to the first team until the September expansion roster. Since his return, he has primarily served as a pinch-hitter, but he has struggled at the plate, batting 1-for-7 with four RBI in 23 games since returning to the first team in September. For the season, he was 2-for-22 (110 at-bats) with a .542 OPS.

While Seo was in the second team, Shin Min-jae emerged as the surprise star at the LG second base spot. After starting the season as a pinch-hitter, Shin Min-jae earned his spot at second base with increasingly good performances at the plate and in defense, as well as stolen bases. The backup at second base is veteran Kim Min-sung. Seo Gun-chang’s spot is gone 아톰카지노 주소

Seo participated in the training camp that started on October 19. He played against the Cheong Wa Dae, but did not make the roster for the Korean Series. If Seo had hit a little better this season, he could have gotten the left-handed batting spot, but he didn’t pass the cold shoulder test.

During the training camp, Yeom finalized his 30-man roster with 16 outfielders and 14 pitchers. He finalized the roster with nine starters, plus Heo Do-hwan and Kim Bum-seok (catchers), Kim Min-sung and Jeong Ju-hyun (infielders), and Choi Seung-min and Ahn Ik-hoon (outfielders).

The final outfield spot was initially reserved for big-hitting prospect Lee Jae-won, but the coaching staff’s need for a big bat and big defense in a blue-and-white game led to a last-minute debate between Son Ho-young and Lee Jae-won.

In the 30-man roster, Yeom reserved one or two spots for younger prospects to gain experience. This included Kim Bum-seok, a rookie catching prospect, and Son Joo-young, a left-hander who underwent elbow surgery last year and is slowly regaining his form after rehabbing this year. There are also spots for specialists such as infielders and pinch-hitters. Choi Seung-min, the No. 1 outfielder, and Ahn Ik-hoon, an outfielder, were included.