Manager for KBO-leading Twins credits harmony with front office for success

LG Twins players celebrate their 4-3 win over the NC Dinos in a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Aug. 28. Yonhap

After his LG Twins soared to the top of the Korean baseball standings with a strong month of August, manager Youm Kyoung-youb on Tuesday attributed that success to organizational harmony.

The Twins ended July in second place in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), two games back of the Hanwha Eagles. However, by the end of August, the Twins were leading the Eagles by 5 1/2 games, with a record of 76-46-3 (wins-losses-ties).

The Twins posted the league's best record in August at 18-6-1, while also leading the KBO with a .297 batting average, a .809 on-base plus slugging and a 2.97 ERA over those 25 games.

As important as performances on the field are, Youm said the support from the front office has been critical so far this year.

"I think the most important element for a championship team is to have the harmony between the front office, the coaching staff and the team on the field," Youm said before the Twins hosted the Lotte Giants at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. "We should all pursue the same objective and should try to do what we're supposed to do. We should help each other when the going gets tough, rather than upset or provoke each other."

Youm recalled that during a particularly rough period earlier in the season, the front office stayed patient with him and the rest of the team.

"They didn't try to identify problems. They were working with us to try to find solutions," Youm said. "Instead of criticizing us, they tried to encourage us. And we were able to build trust along the way, and it gave a chance to turn things around.

"When things don't go well, bad organizations only look to find problems and they get busy pointing fingers," Youm added. "But within successful organizations, people stay patient and trust each other to bounce back."

The Twins have 19 games remaining and the Eagles have 20 games to go. They will play each other three times over the final weekend of the regular season, from Sept. 26 to 28, and Youm said he hopes the Twins will lock down the top seed before that.

"I told the team that it's entirely up to us how soon we can clinch first place, and no one else will help us get there," Youm said. "I said we have to bear down in every game and stay locked in, so that we can secure the top spot quickly. That's how we played in August and that's why we had such a great record."

Asked if he can breathe a little easier with a sizable lead over the Eagles, Youm said, "You just never know in baseball."

"I know we pulled off a big rally to move ahead," he added. "But there's no guarantee we won't be on the wrong end of it this month."