Lee Ho-joon (49), manager of the NC Dinos, met at NC Park in Changwon ahead of the opening of the new season of professional baseball, and his face was tanned. "Even though the spring camp is close to two weeks old, there is no sign that his face under the scorching sun in the U.S. and Taiwan will return," he said with a big smile. "I'm not satisfied with his face right now, but people around me say that he looks more charismatic than usual. I'm agonizing over whether I should keep going like this."안전놀이터

Lee, an infielder who debuted with the Haitai Tigers in 1996, is the only rookie among the 10 KBO league teams in the new season. NC replaced Kang In-kwon in September last year and finished the rest of the season under acting coach Gong Pil-sung. Right after the playoffs, Lee Ho-joon, then head coach of the LG Twins, was appointed as the head coach in October last year. In 2013, Lee took the helm with high praise for his five-year career as a founding member of NC, a new team, and his extensive experience as a coach at LG. "I am proud that NC player became NC manager for the first time. Many things have changed since he retired in 2017, but there are still a number of juniors and employees who have been in the same team since his early days. I will work with them to lead the team vigorously," Lee said.

Contrary to his strong ambition, the mood surrounding NC is not very positive. NC, which was ranked ninth last year, failed to strengthen its capacity in the Stove League. Furthermore, Kyle Hart, who played 13 wins and 3 losses with an ERA of 2.69 last season, has returned to the Major League, further increasing the vacancy of the mound. After much consideration, Lee came up with a "seven-starter system." The KBO League, which plays six games per week, usually operates as a five to six-starter system.

"We don't have any clear starting players other than foreign pitchers and Shin Min-hyuk," Lee said. "We agonized a lot, but the answer is the seven-starter system." The NC Dinosaurs for the new season are Logan Allen, Riley Thompson, Shin Min-hyuk, Choi Sung-young, Mok Ji-hoon, Kim Tae-kyung, and Lee Yong-chan. "Shin Young-woo, Kim Young-gyu, and Lim Sang-hyun are also candidates for the starting lineup," Lee said. "There are reports that there are many pitchers with good pitching in the second division as well. Young players will make it through with their spirit."

Lee was famous for his charisma when he was an active player. When Kim Sung-geun was a coach for the SK Wyverns, he took care of younger players through strong leadership. After moving to NC, he still served as captain and helped the team and young players grow. Such charisma continues even now as a coach. "We will create a team where all hitters from No. 1 to No. 9 can sprint along," Lee said. "Even if we lose, we will make sure our team is not safe for our opponents." The coaching staff is no exception. The coaching staff will be fined for operational mistakes during games. The fines are 20,000 won for coaches and 1 million won for coaches.

In recent years, there have been frequent conflicts or discord between the coaching staff and the front office in the KBO League that directly lead to poor performance. Lee, who has experienced various clubs as a player and coach, is well aware of such precedents. "I told the front executives and staff to come to the manager's office whenever there is a situation they are curious about during the game," Lee said. "I asked them because I thought it would be better to explain to each other than to keep it in mind and increase misunderstanding."

In the exhibition game that ended on the 18th, NC was the lowest (2 wins and 6 losses). Experts do not seem to disagree that NC is the lowest candidate this season. The coach, who just took the helm, is expected to hurt his pride. "I don't agree with the expectation that we are in the lower ranks. If young starters settle down quickly, a mid-range fight is possible," manager Lee said, reiterating, "Baseball should eventually open the lid. I will definitely present fall baseball to NC fans."