LG Twins promote bench coach to manager

▲ This file photo from May 29, 2020, shows LG Twins' bench coach Ryu Ji-hyun (L) and manager Ryu Joong-il watch the flight of a batted ball during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)

▲ This photo provided by the LG Twins on Nov. 13, 2020, shows the Korea Baseball Organization club's new manager, Ryu Ji-hyun. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

KBO club-manager

LG Twins promote bench coach to manager

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean baseball club LG Twins announced Friday they've promoted bench coach Ryu Ji-hyun to be their new manager.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said Ryu agreed to a two-year deal worth 900 million won (US$806,600), which includes a signing bonus of 300 million won.

Ryu, 49, was an All-Star shortstop for the Twins and spent his entire 11-year career with the Seoul-based club. He won the 1994 Rookie of the Year award after batting .305 with 15 home runs, 51 RBIs, 51 steals and 109 runs scored. The Twins won the Korean Series title that same year.

It is also the last championship for the Twins, who were eliminated in the first round of this year's postseason. Former manager Ryu Joong-il resigned in the immediate aftermath. His contract had expired at the season's end and the Twins were contemplating whether to extend him.

Ryu Ji-hyun has previously been a baserunning coach and an infield coach for the Twins. He became the bench coach in 2018.

In a statement, the Twins said Ryu is the perfect manager to guide the Twins in a new direction, thanks to his familiarity with the organizational culture and system, as well as the players and the front office.

The Twins also noted Ryu's deep understanding of the advanced data and his ability to incorporate analytics into his managing.

Ryu said he considered the Twins his family, having spent nearly three decades as a player and a coach, and he wants to make the most of the opportunity to now manage the club.

"I will try to bring a championship back to our franchise," Ryu said. "I had the pleasure of winning a title as a player, and I'd like to experience that again as a manager with our fans and players."

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