Ex-Rivals Turn Managers in Clash for Korean Baseball Supremacy

SEOUL: As the Kia Tigers and Samsung Lions prepare to battle for the South Korean baseball championship beginning Monday, attention is drawn to the renewed rivalry between their managers, Lee Bum-ho of the Tigers and Park Jin-man of the Lions, whose competitive history dates back to their days as standout players. According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee, aged 42, and Park, aged 47, were prominent figures in Korean baseball, each creating memorable moments in the Korean Series as players. Now, they face off as managers with the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) championship on the line. In 2017, Lee hit a pivotal grand slam in Game 5 of the Korean Series, helping the Tigers to a narrow 7-6 victory over the Doosan Bears and securing their 11th title. This marked Lee's sole Korean Series win in his 19-year career. Meanwhile, Park amassed six championship rings over his 20-year career, including two with the Lions in 2005 and 2006, and was named Korean Series MVP in 2006. The 2006 Korean Series saw Park's Lions de feat Lee's former team, the Hanwha Eagles, in a six-game series that included a tie. Lee, who struggled at the plate with a .231 average and no home runs, recalled feeling fortunate just to play in the series. "It was my first Korean Series as a player and Park Jin-man had already won a few titles before that," Lee commented. Reflecting on the upcoming series, Lee aims to adopt a similar mindset to that of 18 years ago, despite the Tigers having the best regular season record. "Even though we had the best record in the regular season this time, I will see myself as a challenger to Park Jin-man," Lee stated. Park, whose team had to overcome an extra postseason round to reach the Korean Series, likens the current Lions to Lee's 2006 Eagles. The Lions recently eliminated the defending champions, LG Twins, in four games during the best-of-five second round. "We will try to ride the momentum from our previous series and make it a great Korean Series," Park remarked. Lee ascended to the managerial role with the Tigers in February under challenging circumstances, following the abrupt firing of former manager Kim Jong-kook. Despite leading the Tigers to the best regular season record, Lee finds managing to be more daunting than playing. "I don't recall ever getting nervous before an at-bat as a player, but it's far more nerve-wrecking to watch games as manager," Lee expressed. Acknowledging the Lions' strong defense, Lee emphasized the importance of seizing scoring opportunities. "They made the fewest errors in the regular season (with 81 in 144 games) and I think we'll have to capitalize on every chance to score because it'll be tough to get multiple runs across," Lee added. Park acknowledged the Tigers' strengths but underscored the differences between the postseason and the regular season. "We've had discussions with our scouts to try to exploit their weaknesses," Park said. "But we won't divulge our strategies here. You will find out by watching the upcoming games."