Rookie manager hoping to see hard work in spring rewarded in regular season

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, March 28 (Yonhap) -- Wrapping up his first spring training as a manager in the top South Korean baseball league, Doosan Bears skipper Lee Seung-yuop said Tuesday he would like to see the hard work put in by his players and staff be rewarded in the 144-game regular season.

Lee, the career home run leader in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history with 467, took over the Bears after the 2022 season, after the Seoul-based club missed the postseason for the first time since 2014.

While the Bears may not have all the pieces in place to make a postseason run in 2023, Lee wants his players to be as well prepared as they can be for the long grind ahead.

"I don't think I am nervous yet, but with just a few days left, I get the sense that, 'OK, this is about to get real now,'" Lee told reporters before the Bears' final preseason game, against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.

"Inside the clubhouse and front office, we all know how hard we've worked so far," Lee continued. "And I hope we will all be rewarded for it. I think anybody can go out there and do the best. I want my team to be ready to be the best."

Lee said he has been encouraged by the performance of first-year outfielder, Jose Rojas, who is replacing two-time KBO hit king, Jose Miguel Fernandez. Through Monday, Rojas was batting .370 with five doubles, a home run and five RBIs in 10 games.

"The more I watch Rojas play, the more convinced I become that he can really swing the bat," Lee said. "I think he really has a great knack for making solid contact. I don't think I've ever seen him have an uncompetitive at-bat. I expect him to be even better in the regular season."

Lee said Rojas and incumbent Kim Jae-hwan will split time in the left field, though ideally, Lee would like to see Kim, 34, play there "at least 100 games."

"Jae-hwan is going to be our cleanup hitter, and it's a symbolic spot in the lineup," said Lee, one of the most feared sluggers in KBO history in his playing days. Kim was also swinging a hot bat in the preseason coming into Tuesday, with a .444 average and four extra-base hits in 11 games.

"I hope he holds down that place for the whole season. But he's at a point in his career where we have to give him occasional rest to keep him fresh," Lee added. "We have Rojas and some other players who can handle the left field."

Lee has a few concerns on the pitching front. Dylan File, a former major league pitcher who signed in November, has been sidelined for at least another month after taking a batted ball to the head.

His absence, plus some struggles among other candidates, left Lee with three starters and a few question marks in his rotation.

Raul Alcantara, Choi Won-joon and Gwak Been will be the top three. Lee then said three young hurlers -- Choi Seung-yong, Park Shin-zi and Kim Dong-ju -- will man the back end of the rotation.

Choi, 21, has pitched in 63 games over the past two years but made only 17 starts. Kim, who just turned 21, has 10 career games to his resume. Park is the senior member of the trio at 23 and has 50 games under his belt.

"We'll have to rely on these three for at least a month," Lee said. "We don't have anyone ready to step up from the minor league yet. And even after Dylan returns to the rotation, any one of these three pitchers can stay in our rotation. I hope they will pitch with a sense of urgency and purpose."

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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