Why did the Doosan Bears abolish the second-tier coach and entrust a new general coach position to an unfamiliar Japanese leader.

The Doosan Bears of professional baseball officially announced on the 14th that they have confirmed their coaching staff position in the 2025 season.메이저사이트

What stands out is the drastic reshuffle of positions of the Futures team, which is based at Bears Park in Icheon. For the first time since the introduction of the 2nd division system, Doosan abolished the 2nd division manager and newly appointed a general coach as the general manager of the 2nd division. In the meantime, Doosan appointed Japanese leaders who are unfamiliar to Korean fans side by side for the positions of general coach and pitching coach. The main characters are Toru Niemura, 64, general coach, and Kazuyoshi Ono, 60, pitcher coach.  

According to the Doosan club, Coach Nimura had a batting average of 273,820 hits and 67 homers in 1,068 games with the Chunichi Dragons (1984-1995) and the Chiba Lotte Marines (1996-1997) of the Japanese professional baseball when he was active. 

Starting with Chunichi's second-tier coach (1998-2001), he served as the head coach of the Chunichi Dragons (2002), the Rakuten Golden Eagles' second-tier coach (2010-2012), the head coach of the Rakuten first-tier team (2016), the head coach of the Chunichi Dragons (2020-2021), and the general manager of the Chunichi Dragons (2022-2024). As can be seen from his previous positions, he is a leader who specializes in fostering rather than immediate achievements. 

Coach Ono left 82-78-4 saves in 284 games (1445 innings) for the Kintetsu Buffaloes (1984-1993), the Seibu Lions (1994-1997) and the Chunichi (1997). 

In 1998, Ono started his career as a first-team pitching coach for Kintetsu. After coaching the Kintetsu first-team pitchers for three years, he has worked hard to foster young Japanese pitchers by serving as the second-team pitching coach (2002-2003), the first-team pitching coach (2004), the Rakuten first- and second-team pitching coach (2005-2007), the Seibu first- and second-team pitching coach (2008-2011), and the Seibu organization general manager (2020-2024). 

Then, why did Doosan bring two veteran coaches from Japan, and put them in charge of the new position, the general manager of fostering and pitching coaches. 

"Coach Nimura is a veteran coach who has taken charge of all parts except batteries," a Doosan official told OSEN on Wednesday. "He was a fielder and also had experience as a pitching coach," adding, "If the previous second-tier coach specialized in management and game management, he brought coaches with him with experience in various parts to introduce a system focusing on fostering further from this year. We judged Coach Nimura as the right person who can take charge of nurturing literally." 

In addition, coaches Niemura and Ono are expected to play leadership roles in Icheon. Doosan has deployed young leaders such as Seo Ye-il (32) and Kim Jae-hyun (38) in the second division along with experienced coaches Bu Sang-yum, Lee Do-hyung, Cho Joong-geun, and Kim Jin-soo, and is aiming to harmonize the coaching staff.

The above official added, "We expect the leadership of veteran coaches such as Nimura and Ono to be a good learning for young coaches on the Futures team." 

Doosan also appointed Cho Sung-hwan, who has a strong relationship with fielders in the team, by establishing a quality control (QC) coach position in the first team. Doosan explained, "The newly established QC coaching position plays a role of bridge between the team and the coaching staff, and we judged Cho Sung-hwan, who is good at communication, as the right person." 

Doosan is in the final year of Doosan's contract with "national batter" Lee Seung-yeop this year. Attention is focusing on whether massive reforms in the coaching staff, including the abolition of the second-tier coach and the establishment of a general coach and a first-tier QC coach, will help coach Lee Seung-yeop, who is seeking to extend his contract, to lead Doosan to a fourth place or higher.