Former manager Kim Young-deok, the first professional baseball coach to win the Korean Series, passed away on the 21st. He died at the age of 87.
Former coach Kim, a Korean-Japanese born in Japan, was born in Japan in 1936 and played as a right-handed pitcher for the Nankai Hawks (now Softbank) of the Japanese professional baseball league from 1956 to 1963. After continuing his playing career in Korea from 1964 to 1969, he started his career as a coach in 1970 as the manager of Hanil Bank. After coaching Jangchung High School and Bukil High School, he led OB (currently Doosan) to victory in the Korean Series with the launch of professional baseball in 1982. He was the protagonist of the first year championship that will go down in history.
After leaving OB at the end of 1983, former manager Kim, who had been on the field as Samsung from 1984 to 1986 and Binggrae (currently Hanwha) from 1988 to 1993, recorded 707 wins, 480 losses, 20 draws, and a win rate of 5.9% in 1207 games in 11 seasons. recorded 6. He also led Samsung to the combined championship in 1985, but swallowed regret by finishing runner-up in the Korean Series six times in 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, and 1992.
Upon the news of Kim’s passing, his disciple Yoo Seung-an (67), president of the Korea Little Baseball Federation, also conveyed his condolences. Chairman Yoo Seung-an is a disciple who worked with former coach Kim as a Binggrae player for four years from 1988 to 1991.
Chairman Yoo said, “The big star of Korean baseball, coach Kim Young-deok, has passed away. When professional baseball first took its foot in 1982, he started as OB coach and served as Hanwha Telecom Binggrae coach, making himself known as the best manager of long-term races. There was a stigma of being a weak coach in the short term, but with coach Baek In-cheon, he grafted Japanese professional baseball into Korea and created an opportunity to develop one step further.”
Chairman Yoo continued, “Director Kim Young-deok has always been concerned about the development of Korean baseball with his juniors while fighting chronic illness for a long time. Before he died, he advocated for baseball players’ pension reform. He said that even if it cannot be guaranteed as surely as the United States and Japan, he said that Korean baseball can develop further only if he guarantees a minimum pension.”
In addition, Chairman Yoo said, “It is necessary to once again check and manage the current position of not only coach Kim Young-deok, but also the first-generation elders who have worked hard for Korean professional baseball. Recently, I met coach Baek In-cheon, and there are many baseball players who are elderly and have no income. Director Baek In-cheon is sick and is worried about his own funeral. He said, “If he went through the funeral process as the head of the KBO, he wished to do it.” 스포츠토토
Former coach Baek In-cheon, who was born in 1943 and is 80 years old, played a leading role in the early days of professional baseball along with the late former coach Kim Young-deok. He played for 20 years as a player in Japanese professional baseball, won the title of batting champion (.319 in 1975), and wrote history with a batting average of .412 in the first year of the pro in 1982. With the help of a guardian, it was regrettable that the current situation of living a difficult monthly rent was known. It was Chairman Yoo, who was a disciple during his time at MBC, who reported it to the broadcaster.
Furthermore, Chairman Yoo said, “I think that Director Kim Young-deok died and hoped for his own funeral procedure as a baseball chief.” There seems to be a need for proper aftercare as well. He suggested that there be some mark on the tombstone to commemorate him in the society he dedicated his life to.”
Lastly, Chairman Yoo said, “In order for Korean baseball to develop one step further, preservation must be managed along with fostering. It is not only the present that matters.”