Twelve years ago he was cast out like a sinner, and now he’s done it, a glossy jumper and a wish.
It was the end of the Dark Ages. It was a time when small words turned into incidents and accidents, causing the so-called Dark Ages. Misunderstandings piled up like snow, and you were accused of being behind the scenes. In 2011, LG’s defense coach Yeom Kyung-yeop did the same.
He left the team like a criminal. In fact, he was. Throughout the 2011 season, he wore a jumper to hide his name on his jersey. Even in the middle of summer. It was a misunderstanding and an accusation, but it didn’t stop the team from being criticized for a decade. He politely declined the owner’s invitation to train abroad and left for the Heroes.
Twelve years have passed. A lot has happened in that time. From front office staff in the modern era to scouting, head of LG Operations, first team defense coach, and Heroes first base coach, he became the Heroes manager in 2013. He had both success and failure as a manager, turning the underdogs into postseason regulars, but his departure was met with a lot of noise.
He was hired as SK’s general manager in 2017 and won the 2018 Korean Series (KS) title. But the following year, he faced a nightmare as SK’s manager. A seemingly unassailable regular season title fell apart on the final day of the pennant race. Instead of going straight to the KS, he started in the playoffs (PO) and was swept aside by his own Heroes players. At the beginning of the 2020 season, he fainted during a game and was forced to leave the team. 아톰카지노 도메인
That seemed to be the end of it. After training in the U.S., he served as the KBO’s technical chairman and a broadcaster commentator, but his return to coaching seemed unlikely. But he didn’t give up. Over the past two years, he diligently worked on himself. And in early November 2022. He caught the eye of LG’s owners, who decided to hire a veteran manager after a playoff loss. Yeom became the LG Twins’ manager in his 20s, something even he didn’t expect.
“When I was in college, I had no intention of becoming a professional baseball player,” he says, “but then I happened to watch a game between LG and HaeTae at Jamsil Stadium with my friends, and I changed my mind. I realized how wonderful the professional stage is.” “I will definitely win a championship with this great team. My dream is to be a championship coach. I will realize the dream of our club.”
This was the beginning of the drama. “I was too arrogant while coaching. So the heavens punished me. “I studied a lot and prepared for two years. I reflected and prepared with the belief that maybe I could become a manager one more time. I promised to play bold and dignified baseball, and to play wonderful baseball that gives fans pleasure.”
The promise became a reality. LG became a team that wasn’t done until it was done. Even when they were losing, they didn’t lose. They came from behind 42 times in the regular season. There were only a handful of games where they gave up early in the game, but they clawed their way back and eventually turned it around. In a 144-game marathon, they clinched first place before they even reached the finish line.
KS did the same, scoring four runs in the first inning of the second game. However, due to the prepared middle pitcher, the tactical strategy created drama. In the eighth inning of the third game, they gave up a home run to Park Byung-ho, but overcame the fear of defeat with a three-run blast by Oh Ji-hwan in the ninth. Before, LG’s desperation was a burden. Now, desperation has become boldness and confidence. The promise of the glossy jumper was fulfilled.
It’s a feat that 11 managers (Chun Bo-sung Lee, Kim Sung-geun, Lee Kwang-hwan, Lee Sun-cheol, Kim Jae-bak, Park Jong-hoon, Kim Ki-tae, Yang Sang-moon, Ryu Jung-il, and Ryu Ji-hyun) have failed to accomplish since LG won the 1994 championship. Twelve years ago, when he could not even be seen in a uniform, let alone as a director, he completed a movie.
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