"There's still a long way to go evaluation is after the season"
Doosan Bears manager Lee Seung-yeop and captain Heo Kyung-min celebrate after the team's 8-5 victory over Lotte Giants in the baseball game between the Doosan Bears and Lotte Giants at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea, on Friday afternoon. Lee has won 11 straight games in the first three months of the season, a new record for the longest winning streak in a debut season for a Korean manager.
Doosan Bears head coach Lee Seung-yeop has made a big mark in his first year at the helm.
Doosan won 8-5 at home against the Lotte Giants in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League on July 25 at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul.
With the win, Doosan extended its winning streak to 11 games in July, setting a new franchise record for the longest winning streak.
Along with the team, head coach Lee Seung-yeop also reached a milestone, becoming the longest winning streak by a Korean manager in history.
He surpassed Chun Bo-sung of the LG Twins in 1997, Lee Hee-soo of the Hanwha Eagles in 1999, and Lee Kwang-eun of LG in 2000, who won 10 straight games in their first year as manager.
After the game, Doosan presented Lee with a bouquet of flowers and the players celebrated his achievement by spraying him with water as he posed for a commemorative photo.
Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop receives a bouquet of flowers followed by a water baptism after his team's 8-5 victory over the Lotte Giants in the baseball game between the Doosan Bears and the Lotte Giants in the '2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League' at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul on Friday afternoon. Lee has won 11 straight games in the first three months of the season, a new record for the longest winning streak in a debut season for a Korean manager.
"I didn't think much about it when I was playing or when it was over, but when I saw the Bears' first 11-game winning streak on the scoreboard, it felt real. I felt good when I went to high-five the players."
At his inauguration ceremony, Lee vowed to "change the label of 'novice manager' to 'prepared manager,'" and within three months of the season's start, he made it a reality by rewriting the KBO's managerial history.
However, Lee said, "I think all evaluations should be done after the season. There are still more than 60 games left and we don't know what will happen. I still have a long way to go. I would like you to evaluate me after the season. For now, I'd like it to be a mid-season evaluation," he laughed.
The achievement is even more significant as he has overcome numerous crises since his arrival, including self-doubt, a string of injuries, and poor performances from key batsmen.
Doosan head coach Lee Seung-yeop applauds his players during the baseball game between the Doosan Bears and Lotte Giants of the '2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League' at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea, on July 25.
"Before the start of the season, many experts didn't pick us as a top-five team, which made it easier for me to approach the season," said Lee. "On the contrary, I was always thinking that I had to prove them wrong. I was always thinking that I had to prove them wrong, so I prepared as best I could for every game to help my players win, and that's what led to this result."
Setting records, but aiming higher "We still have a lot to work on," said Lee. We're getting better and better. We had a lot of difficulties before the opening ceremony, but we stabilized and came to this point." "I think we have enough room to get stronger if we keep our power and strength. We are always trying to win," he emphasized.
Doosan and coach Lee Seung-yup's record-breaking streak is still ongoing. A win against Lotte on Saturday will extend the team's winning streak and make Lee the longest-serving coach in his first year at the helm.
When asked by the media how many consecutive wins he would like to achieve, 토토사이트 Lee smiled broadly and said, "I want to win tomorrow's game."