Baseball club brings back former manager

SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean baseball club Lotte Giants will have one of their former managers back on the bench next season.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club announced it signed Yang Sang-moon to a two-year deal, with an annual salary of 300 million won (US$264,500) and another 300 million won as a signing bonus.

Yang was the general manager of another KBO club, the LG Twins, this past season.

A former pitcher with the Giants, Yang had his first managerial stint with the club from 2004 to 2005. He left to dabble at television commentary before returning to the Giants in 2009 as their minor league manager. He became their pitching coach in 2010.

He went on to manage the Twins for four seasons and moved up to the front office before returning to the field for his hometown team that drafted him in 1985.

Yang is replacing Cho Won-woo, who was let go with two years remaining on his deal. The Giants went to the postseason in 2017 but finished in seventh place this year at 68-74-2 (wins-losses-ties).

In a statement, the Giants said Yang brings strong baseball credentials, and he has a great understanding of the team. They added the managerial change was necessary to ensure their long-term success.

Yang said returning to the Giants' dugout is "a dream come true."

"I got a call from Lotte last night, and I wondered what was up," he said. "I was offered the manager's job, and I took it right away. I've always wanted to come home. And I look forward to working with some of the players that I managed before."

jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)