Dynamic KBO is approaching, from the’best friends confrontation with the command tower to the composition of emerging rivals’

Jamsil Stadium, where Doosan and Hanwha played a game on May 25, 2019. Jamsil | Reporter Park Jin-up

[스포츠서울 윤세호기자] Along with Spring Camp, the KBO League also started warming up. The replacement of the command tower and the acquisition of SK Wyverns by Shinsegae Group have formed a more interesting relationship between the clubs. It is expected that the season will be more prosperous, starting from the best friend command tower confrontation to the first and second place in the domestic distribution industry.

The rivals of LG and Lotte, and Lotte and LG have become even hotter. LG director Ryu Ji-hyun said, “I have known with director Huh Moon-hoe since college. We became friends when we were selected for the national team together and later joined the pros on the same team.” Both Ryu and Huh joined LG in 1994. Manager Ryu has been wearing an LG uniform as a player, coach, and manager from the time he joined. After retiring from active duty in 2003, Huh served as batting coach of the LG 2nd Army for 5 years from 2007 to 2011. Director Huh took the lead in Lotte last year through Heroes, and Director Ryu took over as the command tower this year.

LG manager Ryu Ji-hyun is playing fungo to players during the spring camp held at Icheon LG Champions Park on the 2nd. February 2, 2021 Icheon | Reporter Park Jin-up [email protected]

Director Ryu said, “I was the person who drove directly to the airport when Heo married and went on a honeymoon. That’s a special relationship. He laughed and said, “It’s really my best friend.” Wasn’t it really good for each other? I feel good. I hope that our team as well as Lotte will go well,” he hoped for the goodwill of the two big market teams. LG and Lotte will face the evaluation at Sajik Stadium on the 5th and 7th of next month. Coach Heo happily answered Ryu’s request, and the evaluation match between both teams was concluded. Manager Ryu said that the LG and Lotte games are particularly prolonged and hitting is frequent. Still, will there be a more neat game from this year,” he pledged to be of high quality’Elot Rashiko’.

Lotte Giants coach Huh Moon-hoe is celebrating with athletes such as Lee Dae-ho after winning 7-4 in the Changwon NC game on September 9 last year. Changwon | Reporter Dohoon Kim [email protected]

Lotte has another rival besides LG. The big match between Lotte and Shinsegae Group was achieved when Shinsegae Group, the largest rival in the distribution industry, took over SK Wyverns. The fact that Lotte has concluded a free agent (FA) contract with franchise star Lee Dae-ho is also a backlog that Shinsegae Group’s acquisition of SK Wyverns had a major impact. Lotte and Daeho Lee maintained parallels at the negotiating table for a long time, but when Shinsegae Group participated in the KBO League, the negotiations quickly burned. Lotte and Lee Dae-ho signed a contract for up to 2.6 billion won for two years. It is also heard that the contract size has increased by about twice the amount originally set by the Lotte club.

Lotte and Shinsegae are holding a big bang in Incheon Munhak on April 3. Interestingly, there is Lotte Department Store just 2km away from Munhak Stadium. However, until 2018, this was Shinsegae Department Store, not Lotte Department Store. Lotte and Shinsegae have been in a legal battle for five years over the right to operate the department store, and Lotte has secured the right to operate the department store, and it has become Lotte Department Store from 2019. Three years after the first and second place in the distribution industry collided head-to-head, the two groups face off against the ground as well.

Coach Subero is watching the training of players at the 2021 Hanwha Eagles Spring Camp held in Geoje Sub-Chung Sports Town on the 4th. February 4, 2021 Geoje | Reporter Choi Seung-seop [email protected]

As Hanwha elects coach Carlos Subero, the first foreign command tower confrontation will take place. Coach Matt Williams and Hanwha Subero, who have held the KIA baton since last year, will have their first regular season confrontation in Gwangju on April 27. This is the first season in the history of the KBO League where there were two foreign coaches. Of course, there was no confrontation with foreign supervisors.

Meanwhile, on April 3rd in Jamsil, Kangho Doosan, who has been on the Korean series stage for 6 consecutive years, and popular team KIA will face off. In Changwon, the defending champion NC and LG, who showed exceptionally strong faces against last year’s NC, face each other. Kiwoom and Samsung in Gocheok and KT and Hanwha in Suwon take the starting point for the 144 race marathon.

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