Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop, who earned a reputation as a “national hitter” during his playing days, ended his first season in charge with a fifth-place finish.
Doosan lost 9-14 to NC in the first game of the 2023 KBO League Wild Card Decision at Changwon NC Park on April 19.
It was a tough series for Doosan from the start, as the wild-card deciding game was played on a tilted field. The pressure was on Doosan, who had to take both games, compared to NC, who only needed to win one game to clinch the series.
The biggest disappointment, however, is that even after only one game, Lee Seung-yup’s immature game management was revealed.
In particular, the use of pitchers is something that Lee will have to reflect on this winter.
Doosan’s starter, Kwak Bin, gave up a walk-off home run to Seo Ho-cheol in the fourth inning after taking a 3-0 lead. He then gave up another home run to Kim Hyung-joon and walked Do Tae-hoon before being pulled.
There was plenty of time to get the bullpen going early. Kwak-Bin’s pitches were already starting to swing wildly before the grand slam, and given the short duration of the game, Lee should have considered a pitching change at this point.
There is a question mark over whether the pitchers who followed Kwak-Bin were appropriate.
Lee brought in Kim Myung-shin, one of the best pitchers in the game, after Kwak-bin. In the end, the early use of the Kim Myung-shin card was unfortunate, as the bats came alive after the middle of the game and started to chase.
In fact, the starters didn’t hold up, so they needed a swingman who could go two or three innings. Doosan has the resources in Lee Young-ha and Choi Seung-yong to fulfill this role.
In fact, Lee had been criticized by fans during the season for making late pitching changes and poor pitching decisions. He had already been through the wringer before, but he made the same mistakes in the postseason when it mattered most.
Doosan deserves a lot of credit for leading a team that finished ninth last year to a fifth-place finish in fall baseball.
However, Doosan is a team that has been to the Korean Series for seven years in a row and is a favorite of fans. Lee has a lot of work to do this winter to ensure that the team can keep fans happy next season. 메이저사이트