Former OB Bears manager Kim Yeong-deok, the first-year champion of Korean professional baseball, passed away on the 21st. 87 years old.
Former director Kim, who has been doing outside activities in his spare time despite his advanced age, has been visiting the hospital more often since last year, and his bereaved family members said that his health has deteriorated recently.
Born in Japan in 1936, the deceased made his debut in 1956 in the Nankai Hawks uniform of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He was a right-handed pitcher until 1963, and in 1959 he also experienced a victory in the Japan Series (JS). He came to Korea in 1964 and made a name for himself by playing for Korea Shipping Corporation, Crown Beer, and Hanil Bank. From 1970, he started his leadership career as a manager and player of Hanil Bank.
Afterwards, former coach Kim, who went through the commanding tower of Jangchung High School in Seoul and Bukil High School in Cheonan, took the OB Bears’ first baton with the launch of professional baseball in 1982. The coaches who assisted the deceased at the time were pitching coach Kim Seong-geun and batting coach Lee Gwang-hwan, who later left outstanding achievements as leaders.
Former coach Kim, who jumped into the KBO league with a team of 25 players, won a direct ticket to the Korean Series (KS) by leading OB to first place in the first season. Then, in the first Korean Series (KS) in professional baseball against the Samsung Lions, who were ranked first in the second half of the league, they won the championship with 4 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. At that time, there were many prominent players in the OB, such as Park Chul-soon, Yoon Dong-gyun, Kim Woo-yeol, and Shin Gyeong-sik. Even so, it would have been impossible without the leadership of former coach Kim, who has gone through a tough battle in Japan and Korea.
Since then, the deceased has won the first and second leagues in 1985 when he was a Samsung coach, but he has hardly been able to make a connection with the KS championship. In 1984, the late Choi Dong-won could not overcome the wall of the Lotte Giants. In addition, in 1986, when he was in charge of the last Samsung command tower, in 1988-1989, when he was in charge of the Binggrae Eagles, and in 1991, he tried to win against the Haitai Tigers, but lost every time. In 1992, which led to the last KS advance, he bowed his head in front of Lotte’s stronghold again. 바카라
Former manager Kim, who recorded one KS championship and six runner-ups in his career, resigned from the Binggrae command tower in 1993 and ended his life as a leader. His performance as a professional baseball manager was 707 wins, 20 draws and 480 losses in 1207 games. His 707 wins is the 7th highest ever for a manager.
In 1984, when he was in office at Samsung, the deceased left a shadow due to the controversy over intentional defeat and pushing the batting king, which is talked about with the words, “Criticism is momentary, records are forever.” However, as a Korean-Japanese native, he overcame many adversities and left behind a bold footprint that served as an example for his junior commanders. The bereaved family recalled, “The deceased was most sorry for the fact that he had to be called a Korean in Japan and a Japanese in Korea.”
At the funeral home of the deceased at the funeral hall of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, his disciples during his first year as an OB, as well as legends who embroidered the early days of professional baseball, visited and paid tribute to the deceased.
Park Chul-soon, Yun Dong-gyun, and Kim Kwang-soo, who jointly won the first championship, and Lee Man-soo and Kim Si-jin, who shared the joys and sorrows at Samsung, and Yoo Seung-an and Song Jin-woo, who had a relationship as priests during the days of Binggrae, saw off their teacher on their final path.
In addition, Doosan and Hanwha, where the deceased took the baton, mourned the deceased through the club’s SNS. The funeral is on the morning of the 25th.