Whatever It does, Lotte is Still on the Bottom, But Try its Best

34 wins 1 tie and 95 defeats (win rate 0.264)

It is a pitiful truth of Lotte Giants based on Busan, a harbor city crazed for baseball. It has 3 games in this season. Lotte just avoided 100 defeats of historical rocord for the season, but if it loses all of 3 games, it will record the disgrace of 98 defeats over 97 defeats of Ssangbangul Raiders in 1997.

Busan citizens have already forgotten baseball. Once, Busan recorded more than 1million views for a season. However, they turn their head as listening the word of `baseball`. Even if there were 20,000 viewers at Sajik Stadium during Asian Game, there are only about 100 viewers for regular season game.

However, the players play with their best. They bunt at critical time for meaningless one win. Baek In-chun, the Director, commented “I don`t want to complete this season insincerely and orders strategy. Young players have to accumulate experience for the next season.”

Fortunately, Lotte shows better play after Asian Game. It recorded 4 wins and 3 defeats for recent 7 games. In the game with Hyundai at 15th and 16th, it won thrillingly by 1 point ahead. Many victories by 1point ahead means that the players dedicate in the games. Park Jung-tae, `Busan Guy` having been slowdown through the season does his best for the team, and young players do their best.

The importance is the next season. If the team keeps this pace, it will at the bottom in the season. Baek director asked back “It is no wonder that the team records the bottom under the circumstance that 4 main players including Ma Hae-young, Kim Min-jae etc have gone to other teams, but new players didn`t show their best.”

During the season, he took the post and studied the problems of Lotte. He reported to the club about attracting foreign players for the next season. However, the club responded unclearly with the word “It is to expensive.”

Director Baek sighed with a mutter “There are may young prospects in Lotte, but there would not be any fruits without investment on them.”

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com