“I didn’t do it alone.”
Hanwha Eagles head coach Choi Won-ho, 50, has been at the helm of the “Eagle Corps” since May 12. Although he led the team as acting head coach during the 2020 season, this is the first time he’s taken the reins as head coach.
Choi quickly cleaned up the mess after the firing of his predecessor, Carlos Suvero, and led the team to a rebound. By November 11, Choi had coached 46 games, winning 22, drawing three and losing 21. While his win-loss margin is only “+1,” he personally has a 5 percent winning percentage and the team’s overall winning percentage for the season is in the mid-4 percent range (0.452-33 W4 D4 L).
Of course, Choi hasn’t done it alone. There were a number of factors that contributed to the team’s success, including a successful foreign exchange program and domestic players bouncing back from an early-season slump, but Choi’s stake in the team is undeniable.토토사이트
Since his appointment, Choi has been working tirelessly to find the “probability of success” in managing the squad. When utilizing domestic players, he prioritized those who stood out even slightly rather than giving them a chance to play blindly and evenly. Based on the idea that “if you have a good sense, pull them out and use them as much as possible,” we caught their rising rhythm and actively utilized it.
Naturally, the players tried to maintain their best condition. In the outfield, except for Noh Si-hwan and Chae Eun-sung, there were no clear-cut starters in the infield and outfield. Choi revived the weekday night special teams and encouraged the players to take the lead in creating opportunities. Even players who had previously held the title of starter were not exempt from the special teams.
After solidifying the Yasujin’s foundation, Choi, like a pitching expert, accelerated the reconstruction of the mound. In addition to increasing the utilization of the foreign one-two punch, he also added a little more experience to the domestic pitching staff. He used the data to adjust his starting matchups, and when his starters collapsed, he brought in the bullpen early to seize the game. Quite an impressive feat for a rookie manager.
In a call with SportsDongA on the 11th, Choi gave credit to the players, saying, “It’s not me, it’s the players.” He also thanked another “unsung hero. “My predecessor, Carlos Subero, gave the young players a lot of experience in various positions. He allowed me to run the team with a little less risk. I definitely want to thank him for that.”