The Hanwha Eagles have succeeded in convincing Kim Kang-min (41) to sign with them. The ‘picture’ is neatly drawn.
Hanwha submitted a list of pending players to the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) on Friday that included Kim Kang-min. It was the second time in the 23-year career of the one-club man to have his name engraved on a team’s roster.
Hanwha previously selected Kim with the 22nd pick in the fourth round of the second round draft on June 22. They knew what it would mean to acquire the SSG Landers franchise star, so they took care to make the process easy on the player, the organization, and the fans of both teams.
Hanwha did not contact Kim Kang-min on the day of the draft. Hanwha President Son Hyuk spoke to him over the phone the next day to give him time to think about it. On the 24th, Kim visited the Hanwha team office and informed the team of his intention to extend his contract. Son Hyuk showed his respect for the veteran and eventually convinced him to stay.
Hanwha continued to emphasize Kim’s skills and future value in the signing. He can still play in the first team as a pinch-hitter and a center fielder, and he can even start. This was what Kim wanted to hear as he was considering extending his career. Hanwha also delivered a handwritten letter to the SSG fans that Kim had been writing. Hanwha put Kim in a Hanwha jersey without compromising his identity as an ‘SSG Legend’.
Unlike Hanwha, SSG was unable to paint a picture of a ‘beautiful farewell’. They were able to remove him from the protected list, but what they did afterward was problematic, as it was said that he would have to play a retirement game and could be considered for a permanent ban, which only exacerbated public opinion. 토토사이트
Kim Kang-min played 23 years for SSG. It’s not hard for an SSG organization to protect the value of a franchise star, even if he plays for Hanwha for a year or two. Unlike the KBO, in Major League Baseball (MLB), even legendary players who are transferred are treated with respect by their home teams. When a player is announced as a free agent, the first thing the team does is send out a “thank you” message.
The same goes for opposing teams. Albert Pujols, who left the Los Angeles Angels for a bigger contract, returned to his hometown St. Louis Cardinals in his retirement season and retired with a lot of love from the home fans. Ryu Hyun-jin, who played only four seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers (barring injury), also returned to Dodger Stadium this season to be greeted by his old team.