Kong Pill-sung, interim manager for the NC Dinos, has the unenviable task of having to push the slumping team through the finish line with little left to play for in a lost season.
Kong began the 2024 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season as the minor league manager for the Dinos, but was named their interim skipper last Friday when the Dinos sacked manager Kang In-kwon.
The dismissal came a day after the Dinos were officially eliminated from the postseason contention. They were stuck in ninth place among the league’s 10 clubs at 60-74-2 (wins-losses-ties).
Due to rainouts over the weekend, the Dinos will finally play their first game under Kong on Tuesday in Seoul against the Doosan Bears.
“I would have preferred to play right away. I’m pretty nervous now,” Kong said in a media scrum at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. “I’ve had three days to prepare for this. My job is to keep things steady in the clubhouse and make sure the players keep things business as usual.”
The Dinos were in second place on May 16 a
t 25-17-1, just one game behind the league-leading Kia Tigers. Since then, however, they have had the league’s worst record at 35-57-1.
With seven games to go after Tuesday, Kong said he would like the Dinos to end the season strong.
“I told the guys to keep playing hard for our fans,” he added. “They may have their personal stats to worry about, but I just want them to keep playing hard and have a good finish.”
Kong said injured designated hitter/outfielder Son Ah-seop is scheduled to rejoin the team Wednesday. Son, who became the KBO’s career hits leader in June, suffered a knee injury in a collision with a teammate in the outfield on July 4.
He is five hits away from reaching the century mark in hits for the 15th consecutive season, one shy of a record.
“He is really motivated, and I think he wants to show younger guys how hard he has worked to recover and play the last few games,” Kong said of the 36-year-old. “He’s such a hard-working player. If he’s good to go, we’ll put him in the starting lineup.
If not, he can be a pinch hitter.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency
