Lions manager Park Jin-man confident momentum behind his club in Korean Series

By Yoo Jee-ho

SUWON, South Korea, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man said Tuesday he felt confident the momentum was fully behind his side entering the South Korean baseball championship round against the KT Wiz.

The Wiz, thanks to posting the best record in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) regular season, earned a bye to the Korean Series. They have not played since their last regular-season game on Oct. 12.

The Lions, who finished in second place in the regular season, knocked off the Kia Tigers in a hard-fought series last week, with the best-of-five showdown going the distance. The Lions played the clinching fifth game Sunday and had just one day off before starting the Korean Series.

Despite the lack of rest, Park said he likes where his team is at the moment.

"I think the pressure is always on the team waiting for their opponent," Park said at his pregame media availability at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, some 30 kilometers south of Seoul. "I think we are going in feeling great about ourselves after winning the clinching game the other day. I think we will be able to ride that momentum because we will get to play almost right away. And postseason games are often about momentum."

Park acknowledged the odds are stacked against the Lions, though. In KBO history, the No. 1 seeds have won the Korean Series about 86 percent of the time. But Park also said his players' recent postseason experience -- they also played in the 2024 Korean Series and went to the penultimate round in 2025, with virtually the same core of players -- should work in their favor on the big stage.

"As manager, I have learned a great deal from the past two postseasons, and our players have also taken big steps," Park said. "After finishing as the runners-up in 2024, our guys are really fired up to get it done this time."

One player particularly desperate for a championship ring is catcher Kang Min-ho, who is still searching for his first title in his 23rd KBO season.

He has been battling through an unidentified injury through the postseason and has not missed an inning. He batted .267 and scored twice in the previous series.

"He is far from 100 percent but he has a strong desire to win his first championship," Park said of his 41-year-old backstop. "He just wants to keep playing. And he is an indispensable part of our team."