Busan: The Lotte Giants announced Friday they have imposed penalties on their senior executives and front office staff for their lack of oversight on the ball club, following a recent suspension of four of their players over illegal overseas gambling. The Giants announced their own disciplinary action four days after the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) handed down lengthy bans on four Lotte players.
According to Yonhap News Agency, outfielder Kim Dong-hyeok was suspended for 50 games by the league, while three others, infielders Go Seung-min, Kim Se-min, and Na Seung-yeup, were each slapped with a 30-game ban for visiting a gaming house earlier this month near the team hotel in Tainan, Taiwan, the site of the Giants' spring training. It is illegal for South Korean nationals to gamble overseas, and the four players are currently under police investigation.
The Giants were widely expected to tack on additional bans on the four players, but instead took an unusual step of disciplining Lee Kang-hun, the club's CEO, and Park Jun-hyuk, its general manager, along with front office staff in charge of personnel management. The Giants did not specify the extent of the penalties on these team officials.
"We feel responsible for the disgraceful incident that occurred in our spring training site," the Giants said. "Accordingly, we have decided to mete out severe penalties on the team's CEO and general manager, and also discipline front office managers."
The Giants added that they will amend club regulations to prevent a recurrence and restore their fans' faith, while also strengthening compliance training for players. Based in the southeastern metropolitan city of Busan, the Giants have long boasted a loyal fan base but have not rewarded their supporters with on-field success lately. They have reached the postseason just once since 2013.