Shinsegae Group vice chairman Jung Yong-jin showed confidence in the prospects of SSG Landers, a professional baseball team he owns, this season. Regarding Korean professional baseball in general, he said, “We need to find a way out through active investment and industrialization.” He also revealed his ambition that he and SSG will lead the way.
On the 14th (Korean time), Vice Chairman Jeong visited the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida, USA, where SSG held a spring camp. Having appeared at the training ground two days ago, he returned to the field to encourage the athletes.
Vice-Chairman Chung asserted, “This year’s goal is, of course, winning.” He cited strong organizational skills as his strength. “In fact, we weren’t candidates for the championship last year either,” he said. I think if we do as well as last year, we can win.”
SSG won the first wire-to-wire (first place from the opening day to the end) since the league was launched last year. However, because they failed to strengthen their weak point, the bullpen, throughout the winter, they were evaluated as mid-level by some experts.
Vice-Chairman Chung cited “fan love” as a coveted goal beyond grades. He said, “When I expressed my feelings about winning last year, I said that I was most happy to win first place in the mobilization of home crowds.” Last season’s home game attracted 981,546 spectators, the largest among 10 clubs.
Vice-Chairman Chung, who was preoccupied with boasting about his team, expressed regret about the situation in which his actions were unusually reflected by fans and the media. If you are the owner, you should not spare your interest and support for the team, so that the level of the league as a whole goes up. He also added that professional baseball should become a self-sustaining industry. 바카라사이트
Encouraging the key players in the team who are about to join the World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team, he observed the ensuing training for a while and then left. Along with KIA Tigers Yang Hyeon-jong, Kim Gwang-hyun, who was in charge of the eldest brother in the pitching group of the national team, checked his condition by doing live pitching in front of Vice Chairman Chung that day.
Previously, Vice Chairman Chung appeared for the first time at the camp on the 12th. After inspecting the local training facility and showing satisfaction, he said, “I wish we had a facility where we could systematically focus only on training.” Dinner menus served to club officials, such as lobster and LA galbi, became a hot topic.
Meanwhile, Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won, who is known as a baseball fanatic as much as Vice Chairman Chung, also visited the Doosan Bears camp in Sydney, Australia the day before. After quietly watching the players, he met with coach Lee Seung-yeop, coaches, and the players, handed them encouragement money, and asked them to play ‘bears-down baseball’ after the training was over.