"The biggest advantage of our team right now is desperation. The desire to win is the best card I have right now."
Not only the coach, but the entire team was united by the championship. It took a long time and many hot tears were shed. If desperation leads to confidence and boldness, a unified victory can be achieved. LG coach Yeom Kyung-yeop smiles brightly at his team for staying focused in such a short period of time.
The KS that seemed so far away is getting closer. Clinching the regular season title on Oct. 3 effectively gave the team more than a month to prepare for Game 1 of the Korean Series (KS) on Nov. 7. After the final game of the regular season on October 15, the team took three days off to train in Icheon. On October 29, they moved to Jamsil. LG is preparing for the KS with a total of six practice matches before the Jamsil Cheongbaek match, scheduled for October 4. 안전토토사이트
Looking back on the KS preparations, Coach Yeom said, "From the way the players train to the way they play, they are all focused. All the players are well integrated into the atmosphere and are training and playing intensively. I can feel the urgency."
At first, the coach seemed the most desperate. After taking the helm of LG last November, he said, "My dream is to be a championship coach. LG's dream is also to win a championship. I will definitely realize my dream and the club's dream," he said after taking the helm in November last year, and then broke down in tears after the KS defeat in 2014. The then-Nexen manager could hardly hold back his tears, as if he knew that his centerpiece players would go to the big leagues from the following year.
The players were no different. They became postseason regulars from 2019 onward, but rarely made it to the final stage. From falling from second to fourth place on the shocking final day of the 2020 season to upset losses in 2021 and 2022, they finished the year with deep scars. At the end of the playoffs in Gocheok last year, some players shed thick tears of disappointment and frustration.
That's why the players requested a training camp first. Two veterans, Kim Hyun-soo and Oh Ji-hwan, requested a training camp in Icheon to increase training focus even before the regular season title was finalized. The players' opinions were also taken into consideration for the unusually high number of six games. Pitching coach Lim Chan-kyu didn't go out even on his days off during the Icheon training camp, staying only in Icheon for ten days in case of a possible driving accident.
The coaches and players agreed, and Yeom happily presented the prize money. LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo pledged 10 million won, along with a Rolex watch for the KS MVP. If LG wins the KS, the MVP will receive a Rolex watch, and the second best player will receive 10 million won from Yeom.
"The biggest advantage of our team right now is desperation. It's not just me, but everyone is desperate to prepare for the KS and want to win the KS. The desire to win is the best card I have right now," he said, "In fact, I could give them 100 million won. I want to spend even 100 million won," he said.
For a coach, the pinnacle is a winning coach. For a player, the pinnacle is also a championship. LG has veterans like Kim Hyun-soo, Park Hae-min, Kim Jin-sung, and Ham Deok-ju who have won championships, but they also want one more unforgettable memory of that time. "The good feeling after winning a championship can only be understood by those who have experienced it," said Ham Deok-ju. I want to enjoy the joy of winning again with my teammates this year." LG franchise players like Oh Ji-hwan and Lim Chan-kyu are even more eager to win.
"I want to shed hot tears with the fans after the KS victory in November," said Oh Ji-hwan and Im Chan-gyu, and it will be interesting to see what their desperation will lead to. If they get what they want, the LG fans who have waited 29 years for it will be in tears too.