The Hanwha Eagles have been at the bottom of the league for the past three years in a row, including the last two years when manager Carlos Subero (51) took the helm. It is a score that has nowhere to go down.
Hanwha, which recruited general manager Sohn Hyuk (50) last winter, focused on strengthening its power during the offseason. As a result, no메이저놀이터t only did pitcher Jang Si-hwan (36) of the internal free agent (free agent) remain, but also external free agents such as first baseman Chae Eun-seong (33), pitcher Lee Tae-yang (33), and infielder Oh Seon-jin (34) succeeded in strengthening the depth. Already, there is a story that Hanhwa is a ‘candidate for the top 5’ this season.
In an interview with Star News at the Milwaukee Spring Camp facility in Phoenix, Arizona, USA on the 6th (Korean time), coach Subero, who celebrated the final year of his three-year contract, said, “I don’t want to use the word rebuilding this year. left,” he declared proudly.
The following is Q&A with coach Subero.
– What is the focus of this spring camp?
▶ Last year, there were many games where our team lost by only one or two points. The reason is a judgment error or a defensive error. Therefore, the emphasis is on developing the ability to become a team that does not collapse easily by developing steady skills in both offense and defense.
– Hanwha has been at the bottom of the league for the past three years. When will we be able to become a competitive team?
▶ This year is a very important season for our team. The only thing left to do is to become competitive and go up. Over the past two years, Hanwha has been in a period of rebuilding. I don’t want to use that word this year. Over the past few years, we have embraced top-round nominated rookies such as Moon Dong-ju (20), Moon Hyun-bin (19), and Kim Seo-hyun (19). Internally, players had time to grow through failure. In addition, in the offseason, not only internal free agents but also a number of external free agents were recruited.
The message from this is that now Hanwha has to become a better team than in the past. He not only has the experience of recruiting a pitcher (Lee Tae-yang) who won the Korean Series last year (at SSG), but also has the best hitter (Chae Eun-seong) in the league. Their skills as well as their experience will definitely benefit our team. There are also good coaches. There are many good things that can help the team.
– Does it mean that the puzzles to become a good team fit together well?
▶ Yes. That’s a good expression. Hanwha has come to have various elements to become a good team, and is going through the process of piecing together a puzzle to put them in the right place. Regarding rebuilding, people misunderstand that it changes overnight into a team that can win after a certain amount of time. In reality, it’s never like that. In order to win, you have to experience failure, and through that failure you learn and grow. Take our team’s bullpen pitchers, for example. They have become completely different players now than two years ago when I first took office. The experience of failure made them grow. We will do better this year.
– Following Moon Dong-ju, Kim Seo-hyun has a great young gun duo. expectations on them.
▶ Moon Dong-ju will play a part in the Hanwha starting rotation this season. He has high expectations of him. Moon Dong-ju is particularly young, but has great mental strength. He is an advantage that is hard to find in players his age. Therefore, his performance is expected this season. There is no doubt that Kim Seo-hyun is an attractive pitcher who can throw a fast ball. However, I will decide whether to use him as a full force immediately or what role to assign him, such as starter or finisher, after observing real-life experiences such as practice games. One thing is certain: I will never rush and approach carefully.
– As a coach, I think the burden of grades is high.
▶ (crossing hands) Absolutely not. You can’t lie about power. And power is exposed to anyone. It is true that our team has been at the bottom for the past several years. But that doesn’t mean you always have to carry that fact on your shoulders and make it difficult for yourself. Based on the experience gained through failure, you should try and improve to grow one step further. that’s more important I know you have high expectations for our team. However, in order to win, you cannot speed without considering the surrounding situation and unconditionally step on the accelerator. It is not easy to predict the future, but I am looking forward to this season.
– I wonder why you came to Korea as a manager after leaving the major leagues behind.
▶ In my home country, Venezuela, many people still look for me as a leader. I also spent most of his coaching career as well as a player in the United States. Starting from the minor league rookie league, he also had major league coaching experience at the Milwaukee club. Nevertheless, I chose Korea because I decided that the experience here would be of great help to my leadership skills. I thought it was a good opportunity. Because you can continue to study and learn through new experiences. Of course, it is not easy to experience different foods and cultures in a new environment where you do not understand the language. Even so, it was because I judged that I could grow and become a better leader through Korean baseball.
– It will be the 3rd year of living in Korea. What would be the biggest culture shock you’ve experienced in Korea?
▶ Other food or language was not a problem at all. Rather than cultural shock, I would like to discuss the culture of ‘respect’ that I felt in Korea and its beauty. I thought the culture of respecting my grandparents, which I experienced as a child, had disappeared while living in the United States, but I was able to meet the culture of respect for my elders again in Korea. It’s a really beautiful and good culture.
– Finally, please say something to the Hanwha fans.
▶ The rebuilding process is never a pleasant experience. It’s not easy either. Sometimes pain follows. Look at MLB Houston. They recorded more than 100 losses for three consecutive years (2011-2013) in the early 2010s, when they were in the rebuilding period. However, through that process, the current ‘Houston Dynasty’ was able to be born. Making the playoffs once in a while isn’t real skill. Hanwha is a team with a clear footprint in the KBO. I have a lot of love for this team. When people think of Hanwha, I want to make it ‘a strong team that can advance to the playoffs every year’. We are now moving in the right direction toward that process. Look forward to it.