“At the end, people are criticizing me for not trying my best, but it’s a misunderstanding.”
Lotte, which was confirmed to be ranked 7th in the final rankings, is playing its last 4 away games after winning its final home game against Sajik Doosan on the 11th. In the midst of three consecutive losses, from the Gwangju KIA game on the 12th to the Daejeon Hanwha game on the 14th and 15th. The rankings have already been confirmed and the fall baseball season has been frustrated, but with a large number of key players, including foreign players, missing, there is a misunderstanding that they are ‘not giving their best until the end.’
Lotte acting manager Lee Jong-woon, who met with reporters ahead of the season’s final game against Hanwha on the 16th, said, “People are criticizing us for not doing our best at the end, but it’s a misunderstanding. Our fans expect us to work hard until the end, but that doesn’t mean we don’t do our best on purpose. “The situation cannot be helped,” he said.
Lotte canceled the entries of all three foreign players on the 12th. According to the original rotation order, both foreign pitchers Charlie Barnes and Aaron Wilkerson were supposed to start the final three-game series against Hanwha, but they missed out due to fatigue. Ahn Chi-hong, Noh Jin-hyuk, and Park Seung-wook are suffering from flu symptoms, and Jeong Hoon is in poor condition with his legs.
Acting manager Lee Jong-woon said, “We set up foreign pitchers for the Hanwha game, but they said they didn’t like it and wouldn’t be able to pitch. It’s not my situation to tell you how to throw. “Even players with severe flu cannot play,” he said. “Because we are not playing well, fans are criticizing us for not doing our best, but we cannot use sick players. I’m a professional who does my best until the end, so I hope you understand that situation. “I will accept the reprimand,” he said.
Lotte is playing the remainder of the season under Lee Jong-woon as acting coach after coach Larry Sutton stepped down on August 28. In this agency system, the team recorded close to .500 with 17 wins and 18 losses (a winning percentage of .486) and maintained a glimmer of hope for the postseason, but was eliminated after losing against LG in Jamsil on the 10th. Lotte, which has been away from fall baseball due to a three-month downward trend starting in June, attempted to turn things around through this agency system, but as the bad news of injuries to key players continues, another disappointing season is coming to an end. 메이저놀이터
The role of acting manager Lee, who took over the temporary leadership of Lotte eight years after serving as a novice manager in 2015, will also end with this game. Acting manager Lee said, “I took charge of the team during a difficult time, and I am grateful to the players. He showed everyone, starting with the veterans, doing their best. Although the results are inevitable, I am grateful for the performance the players showed on the field. “I believe that the players will take greater responsibility and do well in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lotte celebrated its final game on this day with the following players: Ahn Kwon-soo (left fielder), Bae Young-bin (shortstop), Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), Jeon Jun-woo (designated hitter), Yoo Kang-nam (catcher), Han Dong-hee (first baseman), Jeong Dae-seon (second baseman), Kim Min-seok (center fielder), and Lee Hak-ju (third baseman). The starting lineup was presented. The starting pitcher is Shim Jae-min. For Ahn Kwon-soo, a third-generation Korean living in Japan, who is returning to Japan at the end of this season under the Military Service Act, this is the final game of the KBO League.