Why is Doosan Bears manager Kim Won-hyong still worried despite the team holding fifth place in the KBO?

Kim said he never relaxes and wants the Bears to keep winning until they officially clinch a postseason ticket. He also said he believes the team can finish in a better position than it has now.

Which Doosan Bears players will miss time for the Asian Games baseball tournament?

The Bears will be hit by the absences of Gwak Been, Choi Min-seok and Park Jun-soon. Kim said losing those key players will have a significant impact on how the rest of the season plays out.

When do KBO players report for Asian Games training camp and how does that affect the regular season?

National team members are scheduled to report to training camp on Sept. 14. The KBO regular season will not pause during the Asian Games, which run from Sept. 21 to 27.

Bears manager not relaxing even with club firmly in KBO postseason position

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Summary

Doosan Bears manager Kim Won-hyong said Friday in Seoul that he will not relax even though the club is firmly in the fifth and final postseason spot. The Bears held a 59-52-4 record and an eight-game lead over the NC Dinos with 29 games left before facing the Kiwoom Heroes. Kim also said the upcoming Asian Games will hurt the team because Gwak Been, Choi Min-seok and Park Jun-soon have been called up.

Key Facts

The Bears entered Friday with a 59-52-4 record and an eight-game lead over the NC Dinos, who were 49-58-2.
The KBO regular season will continue during the Asian Games, which run from Sept. 21 to 27.
National team players must report to training camp on Sept. 14.
Doosan will be without two starting pitchers, Gwak Been and Choi Min-seok, and batting average leader Park Jun-soon during the Asian Games.
Kim said he would keep his ranking goal to himself but believes the Bears can finish in a better position.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 28, 2026 5:52 pm KST

Doosan Bears manager Kim Won-hyong, third from right, greets his players after the team's 3-1 win over the KT Wiz in a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 25. Yonhap

With the regular season winding down in South Korean baseball, the Doosan Bears are comfortably holding down the fifth and final postseason spot.

With 29 games left before they played the Kiwoom Heroes on Friday, the Bears held an eight-game lead over their closest pursuers, NC Dinos, with a win-loss-tie record of 59-52-4. At 49-58-2, the Dinos have six games in hand on the Bears, but it will still be an uphill climb for them to make up ground.

However, Bears manager Kim Won-hyong said Friday he will not let his guard down until his team officially clinches a postseason ticket.

"I can never seem to relax. I think that is both my strength and my weakness," Kim said at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. "I have never been able to relax, either as a player or as a manager. I would love to be less anxious. No matter how many games we are ahead of our competition, I want to keep winning games."

Kim said losing some key players during the upcoming Asian Games will have a significant impact on how the Bears' season plays out.

Each Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) was asked to send up to three players to the national team for the Asian Games baseball tournament, which runs from Sept. 21 to 27. National team members will report to training camp Sept. 14, but the KBO regular season will not pause during the continental competition.

The Bears will be particularly hit hard, as their two best starting pitchers, Gwak Been and Choi Min-seok, and their batting average leader, Park Jun-soon, have been called up for national team duty.

"My anxiety level will go up a few notches during the Asian Games," manager Kim said. "This is no time to relax."

Asked if he had a specific ranking position he would like to attain, Kim said he will keep that goal to himself.

"I believe that we are capable of being in a better position," Kim said. "That is why I can never take my foot off the pedal."

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