Professional baseball team KIA has appointed Lee Bum-ho (43), the first-team hitting coach, as its new manager. “We have signed a contract with Lee for a total of 900 million won ($300 million), including a down payment of 300 million won and an annual salary of 300 million won, for a contract period of two years,” Kia said on the 13th.
Kia has been searching for a successor to former manager Kim Jong-kook, who led the team until last season, after he was sacked by prosecutors amid allegations that he took money from sponsors. Former LG coach Lee Jong-beom and former SSG coach Kim Won-hyung, both franchise stars of the Tigers, were considered, but the team promoted Lee Bum-ho, who has worked well with the current squad, from within.
Lee made his professional debut in 2000 with Hanwha, where he played until 2009, then moved to SoftBank in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball Organization in 2010 before returning to Korea in 2011 when he signed with KIA. He played for KIA until his retirement in 2019. 바카라사이트 He finished his career with a career batting average of .271, 329 home runs, 1127 RBIs, and 1,727 hits.
After retiring, he worked as a scout and manager of the Futures (second team) at KIA.
“He has a good overall understanding of the team, having served as the Futures manager and first-team hitting coach,” said Kia, “and with his leadership and excellent communication skills, he is the best candidate to quickly turn around the current team atmosphere.”
“I am worried about taking over the managerial position suddenly when the team is in a difficult situation, but I will build the team step by step with a heavy responsibility,” Lee said. “I will be a leader who communicates with the players in an open manner and creates a stage for them to play their baseball to their heart’s content on the field.” “I know what the club and fans expect from me,” he said, “and I am determined to bring the team to the top within my term.”
Lee is currently coaching the players at the KIA’s first spring camp in Canberra, 사설 토토사이트 Australia, and will soon take the reins and lead the team as head coach.