After decline, new leader revives 'Hustle Doo' culture with fair competition and accountability

[OSEN=Lee Hoo-kwang Reporter] The golden era has ended. The newly appointed manager of the 9th-place team has revealed a plan to implement strict disciplined baseball to rebuild the baseball powerhouse.

Doosan's new manager Kim Won-hyong recalled his time as the pitching coach during the Doosan dynasty at the 12th commander inauguration ceremony on the 23rd of last month. Manager Kim served as Doosan's main pitching coach for two years starting in 2019, contributing to the team's unified championship in the 2019 season, and led the team to the top spot in team ERA (3.91) for two consecutive seasons.

Manager Kim reflected, "There was an image that Doosan, being based in Seoul, was free-spirited, but when I actually joined the team as a coach, the hierarchy was strict. Senior players trained hard, and even without being told, they would go to the cage to practice batting after games." He added, "This culture naturally influenced younger players. It was impressive how they maintained basic etiquette while confidently showcasing their skills on the field during games."

Five years later, Doosan is in a transitional phase. Veterans who led the dynasty have left the team one by one due to retirement or transfers, and the younger players in Icheon are sweating to fill their shoes, but they are experiencing frequent setbacks. Unsurprisingly, the team's performance has been on a rollercoaster. After the dynasty's end -- marked by a KBO-record seven consecutive Korean Series appearances -- the team has finished 9th, 5th, 4th, and 9th over the past four years. Last year, despite securing 4th place, they suffered the first-ever upset loss in a playoff wildcard decider against the 5th-place KT Wiz.

During the dynasty era, Doosan baseball was distant from keywords like special batting practice, extra training, and hellish fungo drills. It's not that they didn't do these; as Manager Kim noted, players voluntarily identified their weaknesses and trained autonomously until perfection. Seniors led by example, and juniors naturally followed, establishing the "Hustle Doo" spirit as the foundation of Doosan baseball.

However, having endured the humiliation of 9th place twice in the past four years, the team can no longer rely solely on players. With the departure of dynasty leaders, there are fewer players to pass on the existing culture, and the influx of young players into the dugout has significantly lowered the team's average age. Rebuilding the baseball powerhouse inevitably requires restructuring the team culture centered on the coaching staff.

Manager Kim emphasized, "I plan to set certain standards and communicate with the players. These days, there's too much emphasis on autonomy, with players training freely, but they need to adopt a different mindset. While self-driven efforts are important, I feel that the staff must lead in many areas. I strongly want to implement this at Doosan."

The foundation of Kim Won-hyong's disciplined baseball is limitless competition based on fairness. Those who work hard survive, and those who don't fall behind. Manager Kim stated, "I've never automatically given starting positions to specific players. From camp, there must be fair competition." He added, "Players need an environment for healthy competition. They probably know this even without me saying it. Through exhibition games, the best performers will secure their spots in the roster."

He further explained, "Others might see it differently, but I consider myself a rational person who distinguishes right from wrong. All athletes likely feel the same. First, winning is crucial. But how rational and fair that process is, is the key."

The ultimate goal of rebuilding Hustle Doo is obviously a championship. True to his reputation as the first coach to achieve a wire-to-wire championship in the KBO, Manager Kim boldly mentioned the keyword "championship" from his inauguration. The Doosan organization entrusted the reins to Manager Kim, a proven championship commander, rather than Cho Sung-hwan, the acting manager without prior managerial experience, to recreate past glory.

Manager Kim promised, "It's a great honor to become the manager of Doosan, Korea's premier club. I will take on this responsibility with great dedication." He added, "Doosan baseball has achieved a lot, playing well and strongly. It has the unique tenacity of Doosan -- never giving up until the game ends. That's why they were called the 'Miracle Doosan.' Moving forward, I will train hard with the players, synchronize our efforts, and strive for another championship."

Doosan Manager Kim Enforces Discipline for Revival