KT looking for manager

Kim Sung-keun

By Jung Min-ho

Now KT has been confirmed as the owner of the latest Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) expansion team, attention has turned to who will manage the new club.

KT Chairman Lee Suk-chae said the company is concentrating on picking the right person but refused to reveal names under consideration saying, “It will be decided after thorough research.”

Despite Lee’s comments, Kim Sung-keun, manager of independent baseball side Goyang Wonders and KBO technical head Kim In-sik are the names already on people’s lips and both have distinguished resumes.

Dubbed the “God of baseball,” Kim Sung-keun has been a coach since 1970. The 70-year-old is regarded as one of the greatest baseball coaches of all time here, and guided the SK Wyverns to Korean Series wins in 2007, 2008 and 2010 in just four years there.

His ability as a leader has been widely lauded as players such as Yang Joon-hyuk and Lee Seung-yeop rose to become some of the biggest stars of the sport under him in the ‘90s. More recently, five Wonders players including LG pitcher Lee Hee-sung, have advanced to the KBO since he became the Goyang manager in 2011. The independent team was established in 2011 with the object of giving opportunities to players who fail to join professional outfits.

As Lee has openly praised Kim Sung-keun’s leadership several times, the possibility of a return to the KBO remains high. However, he is under contract with the Wonders until 2014. His first deal with Goyang had a release clause in the case he was offered a job with a professional team but his latest two-year contract does not.

Kim In-sik led the OB Bears (now the Doosan Bears) to Korean Series victories in 1995, and 2001.

He may be better known internationally as he led the national baseball team to gold at the 2002 Busan Asian Games as well as a top-four and runner-up finish at the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009 respectively.

Despite a short playing career from 1965 to 1972 with Crown Beer and Hanil Bank, Kim In-sik’s successful career as a manager makes him the strongest candidate. Newly-signed Los Angeles Dodger Ryu Hyun-jin is known as a close associate and the pitcher made his KBO debut when Kim In-shik was the Hanwha Eagles manager in 2006.