Lee Beom-ho: “Starting Pitching Will Decide It”
The KIA Tigers host the LG Twins in Game 1 of the best-of-five semi-playoff series on October 17 at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field. Speaking after an open training session on the 16th, KIA manager Lee Beom-ho, back in the postseason for the first time in two years, said, “The most important thing will be how the starting pitchers perform,” adding that he hopes Game 1 starter James Naile can go six innings or more. Captain Na Sung-bum said he feels “no pressure at all,” while Kim Do-young, the focus of LG’s game plan, put team wins ahead of personal numbers: “If the opponent’s attention is on me, my teammates could get more chances.”
Source: Newsis
Can LG’s Tolhurst Shake Off His KIA Woes?
The LG Twins have named Anders Tolhurst as their Game 1 starter. According to Money Today’s analysis, Tolhurst struggled against KIA this year, going 1-3 with a 6.20 ERA in five starts. Over the full season he was 12-11 with a 4.24 ERA in 30 games. On the plus side, he won both of his starts in last year’s Korean Series with a 2.08 ERA. In 17 best-of-five semi-playoff series, the Game 1 winner has advanced 12 times (70.6%). LG won seven of the first nine meetings with KIA this season but then dropped seven straight, finishing the season series 7-9.
Source: Money Today
Samsung’s Choi Hyoung-woo Gears Up for Left Field
Samsung Lions veteran Choi Hyoung-woo is putting extra work into his outfield defense ahead of the playoffs, which Samsung reached directly by finishing second. With captain Koo Ja-wook likely limited to designated hitter duty because of a left hamstring injury, Choi is expected to play left field, and he has personally asked coach Lee Jong-wook to hit him fly balls. Choi batted .301 with 18 home runs and 106 RBIs in 137 games this season, but slipped to .207 from September on, so he plans to choke up and focus on contact. “I want to finish the playoffs quickly, reach the Korean Series and beat KT,” he said.
Source: OSEN
KT Gears Up for a Second Title
The KT Wiz, who earned a direct berth in the Korean Series by finishing first, have begun preparing for their title bid. KT went 90-49-5 (.647) this season, finishing eight games ahead of second-place Samsung and setting club records for wins and winning percentage in a single season. June was their only losing month at 11-12, and in September they lost starters So Hyeong-jun and Oh Won-seok and closer Park Yeong-hyun to the Asian Games national team, yet they closed the regular season with a club-record 10-game winning streak. Asked about the absences, manager Lee Kang-chul said, “If they’re not here, we just have to make do.” KT is chasing its second Korean Series title.
Source: Money Today
Hanwha’s Ryu Ji-hyun: “2027 Starts Tomorrow”
Ryu Ji-hyun officially took charge as the 15th manager of the Hanwha Eagles at an inauguration ceremony at Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon on October 16. Hanwha reached the Korean Series last year but slipped to ninth this season amid struggles from its foreign pitchers, and after Kim Kyung-moon stepped down following the season finale on the 10th, the club announced Ryu’s appointment on the 13th. Ryu named settling pitching roles, from starters to middle relief and closer, as his first priority, and also plans to sort out overlapping positions among fielders. “2027 starts tomorrow,” he said, adding that he will find the best combinations through the Miyazaki fall camp and Melbourne spring camp. His goal is a sustainably strong team that stays near the top year after year.
Source: Money Today
NC Opens “CAMP 1” on October 18
The NC Dinos will hold “CAMP 1,” their training program for the 2027 season, from October 18 to November 23 in Changwon and Okinawa, Japan. In the first phase (October 18 to November 2), pitchers and position players train together at Changwon NC Park and Masan Baseball Stadium, with about 22 players, including Koo Chang-mo, Kim Hyung-jun, Kim Hwi-jip and Lee Woo-sung, working out at NC Park. From November 3, position players move to Ginowan Stadium in Okinawa for the final stage while pitchers stay in Changwon. Five players, including Park Gun-woo, Park Min-woo and Kim Ju-won, were left off the list. Manager Lee Ho-joon, heading into the final year of his contract, said, “In this CAMP 1 we will focus on developing young players and raising the competitiveness of the whole team.”
Source: Money Today