Professional baseball Doosan announced on the 8th that it will recruit a new coach.
But there was a prominent name on the list of coaches.
It
was
Kim Joo-chan
, who played for Lotte and KIA, and became the representative of the KBO League as Hotajun
.
Kim Joo-chan became free after the 3-year free agency contract with KIA ended last November.
The KIA club wanted to remain, but Kim Joo-chan wanted to be assessed for his value in the market.
The KIA is undergoing a generational change after taking office as manager Matt Williams.
It seems that Kim Joo-chan decided that he would not have a chance even if he remained.
As
I
watched'cool'
leaving KIA,
I felt
like'Kim Joo-chan'
.
This is because Kim Joo-chan, whom I met while covering more than 10 years, was'Cool & Chic' itself.
Kim Joo-chan left Lotte in 2013 and wore the KIA uniform.
My career at KIA was a success.
Kim Joo-chan, who was a contact hitter with a quick foot in the Lotte days, turned into a mid-to-long range hitter from the 2014 season when stealing base was difficult due to large and small injuries.
In 2016, he won his first Golden Gloves with a batting average of 0.346, 23 home runs, and 101 RBIs, and recorded the first cycling hit in the club's history.
In 2017, he was the captain of the team and led the Korean Series championship.
He batted 0.328, 84 homers, 434 RBI and 82 stolen bases for 8 years at KIA.
Considering the career he left with the Tigers, Kim Joo-chan was able to start a new start as a leader after a grand retirement ceremony at KIA.
However, he wanted to extend his active duty and left KIA to be'cool'.
Although free, the FA market was as cold as this winter.
Doosan reached out to him as it seemed difficult to extend his active duty.
Proposed a position as a coach, not a player.
Then Kim Joo-chan declared her retirement from active duty and chose the path of leadership.
He said through the agency, "While looking for the team, Doosan gave me a new opportunity, and
if I started coaching immediately after retirement, there would be many things that could be helpful to the players, so I chose'without much worries.'
"
When I left KIA and started anew as a coach, I was like Kim Joo-chan.
Kim Joo-chan debuted at Samsung in 2000 and then wore a Lotte uniform in 2001 as a trade.
In 2004, he recorded 44 steals and stood out as the Hotajun. From the 2008 season, when Lotte escaped from the dark age, he made a big success as a table setter for the team.
In the 2010 season, he competed with Lee Dae-hyung (LG at the time) and scored 65 steals.
Although he was a star of Lotte, it is difficult to find media interviews with Kim Joo-chan at the time.
Interviews were not easy because of her introverted personality and few words, as well as short answer to the reporters' answers.
The number of words was so small that the fans joked that'I don't think I can speak Korean more than the foreign pitcher Sadoski'.
The expressionless,'chic' appearance made it difficult for the younger generation to take Kim Joo-chan for no reason.
The first person to meet him may feel ``poor'' or ``unkind''.
Perhaps that is why there were many'rumors' in the baseball world.
Kim Joo-chan tried to change his personality.
When I turned 30 and became a veteran, I approached my juniors first.
In 2012, when the reporter was in charge of Lotte, Jeon Joon-woo said, "I asked Kim Joo-chan about stealing base, and he gave me a lot of advice." received.
Kim Joo-chan has transformed into a more active figure in KIA.
There were more days when I showed a smile on my face, and the answer was still short, but I took the interview sincerely.
From 2017 to 2018, wearing the captain's armband for the second consecutive year
represents
Kim Joo-chan,
who has
changed
.
His passion for baseball was also very different.
During his active career, Kim Joo-chan
wrote down the weight in 1g increments on a 10g bat
.
To a reporter asking why, Kim Joo-chan said, "Even the difference of 1 gram has a tremendous effect on the at bat." I remember answering "check it."
Kim Joo-chan recorded a batting average of 0.300, 138 homers, 782 RBI, 1025 points, and 388 steals in 1778 professional career matches.
Some accuse him of being'a natural talent, but a glass body that always suffers from injuries'.
However, the record alone is enough for Kim Joo-chan to be treated as a legend.
Kim Joo-chan, who left the'cool and chic' ground with his unique personality, finally expressed his gratitude to the fans.
"
Hello,
this
is Joo-Chan Kim.
I don't know what to say when I announce my retirement like this. There are so many people who have been grateful for playing baseball, and so many moments that I have been grateful for. I will not forget all the moments you cheered me for. The fans gave me so much love. I couldn't tell you much because I'm not good at talking, but I want to tell you this opportunity. Thank you very much for your support and never forget. I don't think I can."
We support the second act of coach Kim Joo-chan's new life.