Bears’ manager reserves high praise for captain

The Doosan Bears’ manager Lee Seung-yuop reserved high praise for his captain Yang Suk-hwan on Tuesday, saying the 33-year-old first baseman has been setting a good example on and off the field.

Lee specifically pointed to Yang’s sacrifice bunt during a crucial game against the SSG Landers on Wednesday at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, where the Bears prevailed 8-4 to stay in fourth place in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) standings. It was Yang’s first sacrifice bunt since 2020.

With runners aboard, Yang, who leads the club with career highs of 34 homers and 105 RBIs, could have chosen to swing the bat. Lee said he didn’t put down any bunt sign for Yang but the veteran player caught the Landers’ infield off guard with the bunt that moved the runners over.

“I think it sends the right message. As captain of this team, he understood the importance of the game, and led by example there,” Lee told reporters before the Bears hosted the NC Dinos at Jamsil. “I really appreciated that. He clearly knew ev
ery run counted in a situation like that, and when veterans like him take care of business like that, it can only help the team.”

Yang, who did homer later in Wednesday’s game, has only missed one game so far this season, despite playing with minor injuries throughout the season.

“It’s a huge plus to the team when someone can play 140 or more games at first base,” Lee said, former first baseman himself. “Even though he is only batting .245, he has 100 RBIs. To have that many RBIs with that low of a batting average is pretty impressive. He is an integral part of the team and he has been a great captain, too.”

The Bears are at 71-68-2 (wins-losses-ties), nursing a two-game lead over the KT Wiz (69-70-2), who are holding down the fifth and final postseason spot. The Landers (68-68-2) are in a virtual tie with the Wiz, trailing them only by 0.0001 point in winning percentage.

The Bears are 2.5 games back of third-place LG Twins, who can lock down the No. 3 seed with one more win or one more Bears loss.

With
all remaining games carrying major playoff implications, Lee said he is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach with his bullpen usage.

“Every reliever will be available today,” Lee said. “A couple of guys threw around 28 pitches yesterday but we’re not in a situation where we can afford to give them rest. Even if it’s only for a few pitches, those guys will be asked to pitch as long as they’re healthy.”

Source: Yonhap News Agency