The Lotte Giants appointed Kim Si-jin, former Nexen Heroes manager, as their new boss.
With a three-year contract, the 54-year-old will receive 300 million won ($274,000) per year with a 300 million won signing bonus. In a press release, the Giants said they highly value Kim’s managing experience and his ability to nurture talent.
He succeeds Yang Seung-ho, who stepped down last week after the Busan-based team failed to reach the Korean Series as he promised during his two-year leadership.
Kim’s leadership came under the spotlight when the Heroes, which finished seventh and eighth in 2010 and 2011 seasons respectively, became a sensation at the beginning of this year.
Surging from the get-go, the Heroes hit the top of the group standings on May 23. After the first half, however, the Heroes started losing their initial momentum and finished sixth with 61 wins, 69 losses and three draws.
On the back of the worse-than-expected results, the team fired Kim in the middle of the season. The decision, however, raised the hackles of many domestic fans, who recognized his managing ability.
Starting off as a pitching coach at the Hyundai Unicorns in 1996, Kim took charge of managing the team in 2007 when the club was dissolved due to financial issues after the season. He returned to the sport in 2009 as the Heroes manager.
Kim is a former starting pitcher of the Samsung Lions and the Giants during his playing career from 1983 to 1992. He became the first pitcher of the Korea Baseball Organization to reach 100 career wins.