Shim Jae-hak is the shining assistant of KIA V12...This guy who got the Tigers up, there was always him in the crisis
Shim Jae-hak is the shining assistant of KIA V12...This guy who got the Tigers up, there was always him in the crisis
Blog Article
Shim Jae-hak, head of the KIA Tigers, created a team dedicated to scouting foreign players as soon as he finished the 2023 season in sixth place. The team and the data analysis team were placed under his own control, and the front desk system was changed. Consequently, the decision served as an important foundation for Kia's V12.
When the former coach stepped down due to an unsavory incident just before the Canberra Spring Camp in Australia, it was up to Shim Jae-hak to deal with it. If many people ask for just one reason why KIA has changed this year, it is said that Lee Bum-ho was appointed. Shim Jae-hak settled down as manager Lee Bum-ho on Feb. 13, and the absence of the spring camp manager did not last more than 15 days. In an emergency situation, the person who knows the club best was considered the best manager.
In May, Wil Crowe, this year's ace player, was put on alert as he decided to undergo Tommy John surgery. Then, Kia selected Cam Aldred by adopting rules for alternative foreign players. He showed off a chance to win by giving Aldred a full guarantee. However, judging that Aldred's performance was slightly poor, they boldly let him go and officially recruited Eric Lauer. In the process, Crowe also waived the right to hold the position by disclosing waivers. As Lauer eventually added strength to the V12, General Manager Shim Jae-hak succeeded in replacing foreign pitchers.메이저사이트
The biggest crisis was ace James Nail's unexpected jaw injury. It was against the Changwon NC Dinos on Aug. 24. Shim Jae-hak searched all over the city in the middle of the night to find hospitals to treat the nails. When the situation didn't work out, he moved the nails to Asan Medical Center in Seoul for surgery the next day.
Kia focused on helping nails live a normal life as a human being. Of course, it made up its mind to leave the season. Shim Jae-hak took good care of nails by sending rehabilitation equipment to a hospital designated by the team even after the surgery. Eric Stout, a foreign pitcher who replaced nails, started recruiting people when he overcame the worst crisis. Baseball is not a more important value than human life.
Kia has sold out 1,259,249 spectators this year. It sold out as many as 30 times. Based on simple calculation, all Gwangju citizens visited Gwangju KIA Champions Field once during the season. As such, the enthusiasm for baseball in Gwangju was remarkable this year. It is true that Kim Do-young syndrome took place as well as the creation of global memes such as "beep beep".
However, the team's efforts to attract customers cannot be ignored. Shim Jae-hak fully supported the front desk part and repaid Kia's fans' support. As such, this year's KIA Champions Field had a symbolic meaning beyond a baseball stadium to a baseball theme park.
Shim Jae-hak said, "Even after KIA has achieved V12, we hardly have a day off. After winning the Korean Series, we rested for just two days and started preparing for the 2025 season. Rather, as we finished the season the latest, we started reinforcement later than other teams, instilling tension in ourselves and the club.
Shim Jae-hak first led Lee Bum-ho to withdraw his contract and secure the highest treatment. He also faithfully prepared for the final training session in Okinawa. With Nail renewed his contract, he replaced Adam Oler (pitcher) with Patrick Wisdom (batter) for the remaining two foreign players.
While Nail has a sweeper, Oler has a slob. He is a fastball in the early 150km range and equipped with a strong weapon. Wisdom hit more than 20 home runs in the Major League for the third consecutive year. Shim Jae-hak led the team through the Major League Winter Meeting to sign a contract.
He lost Jang Hyun-sik (LG Twins) in the FA market, but when he acquired Cho Sang-woo in the trade market, he created a drama with a twist. He lost the first and fourth rounds as a rookie to the Kiwoom Heroes in 2026, but he will lose the 10th place as he won the combined championship. He displayed his skills to recruit proven right-handed bullpen while minimizing damage. Lim Ki-young also drew a contract to stay in the FA.
With the recruitment of Cho Sang-woo, Kia is also the top contender for the combined title in the 2025 season. If it secures a second consecutive win, it will pave the way for the Tigers' reign. However, Shim Jae-hak chose not to use the word "dynasties." Rather, he used the word "challenge" to himself. In fact, the team itself analyzed that if the team remains complacent, it is more likely to suffer a setback than Mercury.
On Cho Sang-woo's trade, Shim Jae-hak said, "If you are as good as Jang Hyun-sik, it is not easy to fill the vacancy. I thought I should make up for the loss of power." I agreed with Lee Bum-ho and had discussions with various departments at the front desk. This is a match worth playing for our team."
On the afternoon of March 8, 2024, Kia's general manager Shim Jae-hak is leaving the ceremony for the "KIA Tigers' 11th coach Lee Bum-ho's inauguration ceremony" held at the auditorium of "KIA Autoland Gwangju" in Seo-gu, Gwangju. Coach Lee Bum-ho signed a total of 900 million won, including a two-year contract period, a down payment of 300 million won and an annual salary of 300 million won./Gwangju = Reporter Kwak Kyung-hoon [email protected]
Shim Jae-hak runs again and again without a break. Abandoning the word dynasty can paradoxically be a starting point for laying the foundation for the dynasty. Attention is focusing on future moves.