‘Contract expiration’ Lotte coach Kim Tae-hyung: “If it’s not done within 3 years, the manager is responsible.”

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Dae-ho = "The club gave us a 3-year contract to produce results within 3 years. If we fail to produce results, we should not say, 'It was disappointing, and I think we can do it if we are given more time.' If we are not able to achieve results within 3 years, it is the manager's responsibility."

Professional baseball coach Kim Tae-hyung of the Lotte Giants, who failed to advance to the fall baseball season and was about to play the last game of his three-year term, calmly and resolutely placed the blame on himself.

In the absence of a contract renewal offer from the club, he effectively hinted at 'farewell' to the team, and rather than blaming the lack of reinforcements, he blamed himself for not producing results as a leader.

Coach Kim met with reporters ahead of the final game of the 2026 KBO League regular season against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 12th and shared his thoughts looking back on the past three years.

Coach Kim, who took command of Lotte in 2024, will end his third season in 7th place if he wins this day's game, and 8th if he loses.

When asked about the future regarding the contract renewal, Manager Kim said, "If we had thought we would continue (together), the conversation would have come out already," and "The general manager also says he doesn't know anything. When I go down to Busan, I think I will meet with the president within two days and a decision will be made."

During Coach Kim's tenure, Lotte did not receive any notable support, including external recruitment of free agents.

However, Director Kim did not use this as an excuse.

He added, "When I took office, I promised that I would hope to win the championship within three years, but if that promise is not kept, someone has to take responsibility," and added, "We should not blame the team for not providing support. If I had performed well with the current players, my value would have gone up, but it was my lack of ability to do that."

The most disappointing moment was last year, when the team collapsed after finishing third in the first half and losing 12 games in a row in the second half.

Coach Kim looked back bitterly, saying, “While other teams were hitting hard with the addition of injured players, we could clearly see our pitching staff falling apart.”

He did not forget to make a request for the team's future.

Coach Kim said, “It is rewarding to have the center line axis established to some extent, but we still have a weak base of backup players to fill in in case of injury or slump,” and predicted, “I don’t know what the club’s policy is, but if we get external reinforcement, it will be much better than it is now.”

However, while leaving such solid advice, he did not hide his sad feelings, saying, "Leaving a story that might be helpful is a bit like talking about leaving."

He also calmly expressed his thoughts about the meaning of the regular season farewell game at Jamsil Stadium.

Coach Kim, who started his professional career with the OB Bears after first stepping foot on Jamsil Stadium just before the 1988 Seoul Olympics when he was a college student, said bitterly, "Except for my time as SK Wyverns coach and Lotte coach, almost all of my baseball life has been in Jamsil," and "Now it's time to worry about my future."