Hanwha Eagles veteran pitcher Jeong Woo-ram will begin the 2024 season as a playing coach.
The club judged that Jung Woo-ram’s qualifications as a leader were sufficient considering his sincerity and consistency
reputation within the team, and relationships with juniors, and made this decision so that he could maintain his player qualifications but also focus on nurturing juniors.
Jung Woo-ram has played in 1,004 games in the KBO League, the most in the league, and holds the record for the most appearances in a single league in Asian professional leagues such as Japan and Taiwan. 지울프-토토
Jung Woo-ram, who pitches 977.1 innings and has a total of 197 saves and 145 holds, is one of the best closers in Korea.
The Hanwha Eagles offered Jung Woo-ram a position as a playing coach so that he could pass on his self-management skills to the pitchers in the club, and after careful consideration
Jung Woo-ram accepted the offer and will serve as both player and coach next season.
The club decided that Jung Woo-ram was the right person to communicate with the players in the remaining team and strengthen the club’s mound depth
so he will first serve as a pitching coach for the remaining team next season and at the same time allow him to join as a player when necessary.
Jeong Woo-ram said, “I am grateful that the club has made a good offer at a time when I am preparing for a good finish as a player, so I can have a meaningful season.
He added, “This is a great opportunity to share the end of Jeong Woo-ram as a player and the beginning as a leader.
“First of all, I will communicate with my juniors sincerely so that they can have more opportunities,” he said.
Next is Jeong Woo-ram, who decided to take on the role of playing coach . Q1. Reason for accepting playing coach is A1.
First of all, when I reflected on the direction our team should take next season, I calmly decided that I would not be a priority.
Still, as a player, I wanted to finish my career with the goal of standing on the mound for even just a few games
but the club offered me a position as a playing coach, so I decided after careful consideration.
I also accepted the club’s offer because I thought it would be a good opportunity because I thought that if I took on the role of playing coach
I would be able to exercise for myself while maintaining tension as a player, and I would be able to learn more as a coach.
As the club has given me a great opportunity and given me the role of both a player and a leader
I am spending this moment with a different mindset than before.
I am grateful to the club for giving me the opportunity to not just end my career as a player
but to begin another career as a coach. Q2. As a playing coach, I think the off-season will be busier as you have to prepare as a coaching staff and as a player . A2.
I think we need to get to know the players first.
There are juniors that I don’t know intimately because I spent a lot of time in the first team.
If I say that I prepared for the season by focusing 100% on myself
I think I will now have to increase my focus on the coaching staff and prepare to approach the players a little more this winter. Q3.
The beginning of your career as a playing coach is perceived as the final stage of your career as a player .
A3: What kind of player career do you want to end your career with? A playing coach is literally a combination of a coach and a player.
I don’t think he has completely given up his place as a player.
For next season, I will not give up and will receive treatment and begin rehabilitation exercises to improve my shoulder as much as possible for a player.
So, if the first-team players are tired or having a hard time, they will prepare with the mindset that they will be able to stand on the first-team mound if they can help the team.
However, since this is my first start as a coaching staff member, I want to focus on that aspect without missing anything.
If I focus too much on my career as a player, I think it would be disrespectful as a coach to the juniors in the remaining military.
I want to take good care of my shoulders and fulfill my role as a senior and coach well. Q4. A4: As a new coaching staff member, what do you want to convey to your juniors ? I will be in charge of coaching the remaining team’s pitching department, and I want to make the perception of the remaining team clear to the remaining players.
Staying in the Remains Group, which is neither the 1st Team nor the Futures
means that they are less prepared in some aspects than the 1st Team or Futures players.
For example, you need to quickly identify and supplement your shortcomings, whether mental, technical, or physical, in order to rise.
As a coach of the remaining military, I want to communicate with the players in a customized way to help them quickly figure out those issues.
And above all, since basic skills are a very important factor in the sport of baseball
I want to do more basic skills training than I have done before.
Mentality is important in baseball. However, since mental strength is something that can be easily overcome through experience if physical strength and technical skills are supplemented
I would like to emphasize the importance of basic skills to my juniors, and I would like to work on that together.
Q5. A word to the fans who support the new start A5. I call myself a playing coach, but in fact
I always have a goal of seeing the fans on the mound of the first team.
With that goal in mind, we will prepare well for next season.
So far, so many fans at Hanwha Eagles have shown unwavering love and support, and I plan to become a playing coach with the mindset of repaying that support.
I will strive to be a good senior and a good coach to many juniors.
However, I will work hard and prepare so that I can see you in the first team at least once next season.
Until then, I hope fans will see me as the player Jung Woo-ram.