Seoul:The Hanwha Eagles have appointed Ryu Ji-hyun, the former national team manager, as their new manager. Ryu, 55, has signed a three-year contract worth 2 billion won (approximately US$1.48 million) with the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club. The Eagles stated that Ryu is the right person to transform the team into a "sustainable contender."
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ryu led South Korea to the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic in March and secured a gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September, marking the country's fifth consecutive Asiad title.
Ryu's previous managerial experience in the KBO was with the LG Twins from 2021 to 2022, where he achieved a regular-season record of 159-113-16. Despite this success, the Twins were eliminated in the early rounds of the postseason during his tenure.
The Hanwha Eagles recently decided not to renew the contract of their former manager, Kim Kyung-moon, after his three-year term ended. The team last reached the Korean Series in the previous year but lost to the Twins. This season, the Eagles struggled to ninth place in the KBO, with a record of 57-83-4, following the departure of their top two starters, Cody Ponce and Ryan Weiss.
Ryu expressed his gratitude to the Eagles for the opportunity and is enthusiastic about building a competitive team for the fans. He aims to assemble his coaching staff before meeting the players on Friday. Known for his strategic use of advanced statistics and data analysis, Ryu has a reputation for maximizing player performance, particularly in defense.