Resolute Shim Jae-hak, general manager of KIA, “Trade?
Shim Jae-hak (51), the new head of the KIA, who was in charge of stabilizing the KIA organization during the chaotic period, revealed his aspirations.
On the 9th, the new general manager Shim had a meeting with the team and the front desk at the Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, and started working as the manager in earnest. While former manager Jang Jeong-seok was dismissed for being involved in an unfortunate incident, KIA repeatedly pondered over the appointment of a new manager for over a month and officially announced the appointment of Shim on the 8th.
After graduating from Chungam High School and Korea University, Shim joined LG in 1995, went through Hyundai and Doosan, transferred to KIA in 2004, and played for Gwangju until his retirement in 2008. KIA explained the background of the seniority, saying, “He experienced both batter and pitcher during his professional days, and has a high understanding of baseball, such as many years of leadership and commentator work.”안전놀이터
KIA had a leader position vacant for over a month. Although the front desk did its best to fill the gaps in each part, the absence of one of the heads of the front desk was bound to negatively affect the work in one way or another. As there was a hiatus, the key to Shim’s quick identification and stabilization of the organization emerged.
After first understanding the work, Shim promised to permeate into the team as quickly as possible. He also revealed his will to do his best to build a farm system in the 2nd division rather than in the 1st division. Regarding trades such as catchers that draw attention, he promised to trust the existing players and motivate them, but if necessary later, boldly and not to trade with losses. Regarding previously sensitive areas such as the trade of nomination rights, he declared that he would look at a wide range of opinions and even public opinion within the club. The following is a Q&A with Director Shim.
How would you describe your inauguration impressions?
During the season, he became an unusual general manager. It’s burdensome because it’s not a prepared situation, but there are more games that KIA needs to run in the future. From now on, I will do my best to set a good record. In a way, I came to KIA after hitting three jobs: commentator, power reinforcement member, and national team hitting coach, and I will do my best (laughs). I know that the KIA team has a very thick fandom, and that it is the team with the most fans in the country. Fans are the first. I try to play baseball that puts fans first, and I try to play baseball that fans can understand.
Returning to KIA, how do you feel?
There are employees I know and juniors I know, and it’s been a long time since I’ve been to the place where I used to live, and a lot has changed. I’ve been here during the broadcast, and I’ve lived there for five years, so it’s more friendly than new.
What did you talk about with director Kim Jong-kook?
I haven’t had time to have a deep conversation with the director yet. I saw you a little while ago, listened to the word for a while, and talked. After listening to the contents of today’s game for a while, we talked about the direction we thought of each other. (Academic background) The line story keeps coming up, but I was traded every time I became a coach from the school called K while moving from one team to another. Also, the senior director gave me a waiver. He’s not thinking at all. Rather, I think it was the most difficult part for the CEO to be appointed as the leader. Rather than school ties, he is a junior with whom he was originally close, a coach who likes baseball stories and has had dinner with him privately. Conversation is comfortable.
(After moving to KIA) I couldn’t do anything other than the first year of free agency, and there were many negative options. When I was a player, I want to say sorry to the fans. So it seems that he will work harder as he takes on the job of general manager. He has a soft spot for KIA. I think he will do well by concentrating on what he failed at the baseball field at the front.
What about KIA from the outside?
One of the terms that I value the most is team chemistry, and it works well. In that respect, I think that coach Kim Jong-guk led the team well without any noise, and that it is a well-developed team. (In terms of power?) In the current situation, one of the most curious things seems to be an obvious story (the catcher trade), but I would rather believe in our players. Wouldn’t it be a little better if you trust the players you know and give them motivation (I think). I won’t mention names, but I think meeting each other and giving each other motivation would work better in this situation. They are still catchers in their 20s.
It is true that I failed as a player at KIA, and when setting the direction of the team, rather than leading the team alone, it is most important to permeate the team because I am the general manager who came in the middle of the season. It is important to align with the direction of the team and the direction I need to go while permeating. If I say I’m going to have a color right away, I can rather lose the direction of the team that I’m leading well. I will try to help you go in the same direction.
Have you pointed out that the front desk experience is one-of-a-kind?
I don’t understand the general manager who was a former player and the general manager who was a former front desk player. While making use of my strengths, if there is someone needed at the front, I can collaborate. The experience at the front desk has been a company life as a commentator. I don’t think there is any problem with that. I don’t understand a little about whether it’s okay to collaborate if it’s not enough, or if the former player and former front general manager are divided.
If you could elaborate and explain the direction?
I plan to leave the management of the game in the first team entirely up to the coach. Instead, the conversation will definitely be together. The important thing in the direction I can do is the palm system. From my point of view, I have not yet been able to accurately determine which direction I am going and whether I am producing results. The first team is important, but I try to go to the Futures League and practice games often. How it works, and if it matches my thoughts (I’ll check). I will create a job called farm director, which is currently being used in the major leagues. In the KBO League, trade is limited, and most players must be selected within 11 rounds of the draft. Developing players is the most important thing. Even if a system that can be developed is not within the term, KIA is creating a farm system that can acknowledge and continue even if the next general manager comes.
You have a lot of interest in trading, but are you going in the direction of nurturing or giving opportunities (to existing players)?
First of all, I will trust the players. A bold trade will be made. But I don’t do business that loses money. The basis of trade is profit rather than win-win.
Have you received any advice?
As for the advice, ‘open your ears’ seemed like the most advice. KIA Tigers baseball should appeal to fans and be a situation that fans can believe in. Looks like it needs a rebrand. The KIA Tigers must meet the needs of the fans and go in the direction the fans want. I want to go in that direction.
Do you have a story at the meeting?
I didn’t talk long. He said that when the players play at the ballpark, they can help with everything. The general manager said that the door is always open, so it would be nice if senior players would visit often. Team chemistry is more important than doing something in one day, but the basic is skinship. I will approach each player one-on-one and do a lot of skinship. I want to become a team leader who is more like a friend than a team leader and a player.
How would you describe your inauguration impressions?
During the season, he became an unusual general manager. It’s burdensome because it’s not a prepared situation, but there are more games that KIA needs to run in the future. From now on, I will do my best to set a good record. In a way, I came to KIA after hitting three jobs: commentator, power reinforcement member, and national team hitting coach, and I will do my best (laughs). I know that the KIA team has a very thick fandom, and that it is the team with the most fans in the country. Fans are the first. I try to play baseball that puts fans first, and I try to play baseball that fans can understand.
Returning to KIA, how do you feel?
There are employees I know and juniors I know, and it’s been a long time since I’ve been to the place where I used to live, and a lot has changed. I’ve been here during the broadcast, and I’ve lived there for five years, so it’s more friendly than new.
What did you talk about with director Kim Jong-kook?
I haven’t had time to have a deep conversation with the director yet. I saw you a little while ago, listened to the word for a while, and talked. After listening to the contents of today’s game for a while, we talked about the direction we thought of each other. The line story keeps coming up, but I was traded every time I became a coach from a school called K as I moved from four teams to another. The senior director gave me a waiver. He’s not thinking at all. Rather, I think it was the most difficult part for the CEO to be appointed as the leader. Rather than school ties, he is a junior with whom he was originally close, a coach who likes baseball stories and has had dinner with him privately. Conversation is comfortable.
He didn’t do anything other than the first year of free agency and had a lot of negative options. When I was a player, I want to say sorry to the fans. So it seems that he will work harder as he takes on the job of general manager. He has a soft spot for KIA. I think he will do well by concentrating on what he failed at the baseball field at the front.
What kind of team was KIA seen from the outside?
One of the terms that I value the most is team chemistry, and it works well. In that respect, I think that coach Kim Jong-guk led the team well without any noise, and that it is a well-developed team. (In terms of power?) In the current situation, one of the most curious things seems to be an obvious story (the catcher trade), but I would rather believe in our players. Wouldn’t it be a little better if you trust the players you know and give them motivation (I think). I won’t mention names, but I think meeting each other and giving each other motivation would work better in the current situation. They are still catchers in their 20s.
It is true that I failed as a player at KIA, and when setting the direction of the team, rather than leading the team alone, it is most important to permeate the team because I am the general manager who came in the middle of the season. It is important to align with the direction of the team and the direction I need to go while permeating. If I say I’m going to have a color right away, I can rather lose the direction of the team that I’m leading well. I will try to help you go in the same direction.
Have you pointed out that the front desk experience is one-of-a-kind?
I don’t understand the general manager who was a former player and the general manager who was a former front desk player. While making use of my strengths, if there is someone needed at the front, I can collaborate. The experience at the front desk has been a company life as a commentator. I don’t think there is any problem with that. I don’t understand a little about whether it’s okay to collaborate if it’s not enough, or if the former player and former front general manager are divided.
If you could elaborate and explain the direction?
I plan to leave the management of the game in the first team entirely up to the coach. Instead, the conversation will definitely be together. The important thing in the direction I can do is the palm system. From my point of view, I have not yet been able to accurately determine which direction I am going and whether I am producing results. The first team is important, but I try to go to the Futures League and practice games often. How it works, and if it matches my thoughts (I’ll check). I will create a job called farm director, which is currently being used in the major leagues. In the KBO League, trade is limited, and most players must be selected within 11 rounds of the draft. Developing players is the most important thing. Even if a system that can be developed is not within the term, KIA is creating a farm system that can acknowledge and continue even if the next general manager comes.
You are interested in trading, but are you going in the direction of nurturing or giving opportunities?
First of all, I will trust the players. A bold trade will be made. But I don’t do business that loses money. The basis of trade is profit rather than win-win.
Have you received any advice?
As for the advice, ‘open your ears’ seemed like the most advice. KIA Tigers baseball should appeal to fans and be a situation that fans can believe in. Looks like it needs a rebrand. The KIA Tigers must meet the needs of the fans and go in the direction the fans want. I want to go in that direction.
Do you have a story at the meeting?
I didn’t talk long. He said he can help the players with everything they do when they’re playing on the ballpark. The general manager said that the door is always open, so it would be nice if senior players would visit often. Team chemistry is more important than doing something in one day, but the basic is skinship. I will approach each player one-on-one and do a lot of skinship. I want to become a team leader who is more like a friend than a team leader and a player.
Is there a background that made you decide to become the general manager?
It’s a really charming spot. The fan base is so good. It is also a burdensome place. What I was worried about was that I had to come during the season. The broadcasting station is also grateful. Today and tomorrow are broadcast days in Daejeon, but I’m sorry that Commissioner Jeong Min-cheol did it alone (laughs). It’s burdensome, but I want to achieve good results because I’m very attracted to the KIA fandom.
