KB News Desk
As two Seoul rivals in South Korean baseball were gearing up for their final regular-season meeting at an iconic stadium Wednesday, managers for the clubs took a little time to reflect on their memories at the venue.
The LG Twins were to host the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium later Wednesday. The two clubs have shared Jamsil as their home since the Bears moved from the central city of Daejeon to the capital city in 1985. The stadium will be torn down after this Korea Baseball Organization season to make room for a new domed ballpark.
These two clubs could meet again in the postseason, which starts next week with the wild card round, and either of them could grab a home field advantage depending on how they perform in their remaining games.
That is precisely why Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb described Wednesday’s contest as the latest “must-win game” for his team down the stretch.
The Twins, who were in first place in early July, have dropped to fourth place and are in danger of ceding that spot to the Bears, who sit two games back in fifth place with two to play.
The Twins have lost eight of their past 10, while the Bears have won eight of the last 10.
“We are in a situation where we have to keep on winning,” Youm said in his pregame media availability. “We would love to send our fans home with a win in this last game.”
Youm did reflect briefly on his time at Jamsil. He led the Twins to two Korean Series titles in the past three years, and they clinched the 2023 championship at the Seoul stadium. In 1991, Youm played his very first game and got his first career hit as a visiting player at Jamsil, too.
“This place means a lot to me,” Youm said, while looking out toward the field from the first base dugout. “And we will try to play our best in this meaningful game.”
Youm’s counterpart, Kim Won-hyong, was a star pitcher in the 1990s but said he had few memorable moments at Jamsil. His favorite memory came as a pitching coach for the Bears in 2019, when they caught the SK Wyverns (currently SSG Landers) for first place on the last day of the regular season and went on to capture the Korean Series title as well.
But Kim said the significance of Wednesday’s affair, especially with where the teams are in the last days of the regular season, was not lost on him.
“Games between our two clubs have always felt special, regardless of our positions in the standings,” Kim said. “I am trying to stay calm and composed for tonight.”
The Bears will have their home finale next Monday against the Lotte Giants.
Two Twins franchise stars, ex-outfielders Lee Byung-kyu and Park Yong-taik, tossed the ceremonial first pitches before Wednesday’s game.
Both spent their entire playing careers with the Twins — Lee for 16 seasons and Park for 19 seasons.
“I am so happy to have played at this ballpark,” said Lee, who is now manager of the Twins’ minor league club. “It is sad to see this stadium go, but it will be great to see a brand new stadium right here. I am grateful that a new generation of players will get to play in an even better environment.”
Park, who works as a television analyst, grew up in Seoul dreaming of playing professional baseball at Jamsil.
“I felt something in my heart before I went to bed last night,” Park said with a smile. “I am thankful to have played here from my first day to my retirement. It was a fun ride.” (Yonhap)
