Former Hanwha coach Jang Jong-hoon, a legend who guides young dreamers, “I don’t know everything, but only Lee Jong-beom knows, ‘Lee Jung-hoo’s father'”
He recorded 340 home runs in his career and became the home run king for three consecutive years from 1990 to 1992. He hit 41 in 1992, opening the KBO League’s first 40 home run era. Jang Jong-hoon, former head coach of the Hanwha Eagles (55). It is a name that cannot be left out when talking about Korean professional baseball history. The jersey number ’35’, which symbolized the Eagles’ number 4 hitter, is in the hearts of fans. In September 2005, with his retirement game, he became the first permanent member of the Hanwha club. Last fall, he threw the first pitch in front of Daejeon fans as one of the 40 legends selected by the KBO.
Head coach Jang, who is considered one of the best home run hitters of all time, is instructing young dreamers these days. These are real young players, not professional prospects. It’s not a main job, it’s a kind of ‘talent donation’. When juniors who work as little baseball leaders ask for it, they run to it.
Last week, I visited Seosan City, Chungcheongnam-do. Choi Jin-haeng, a 38-year-old coach of the Seosan Sea Little Baseball Team, who is a teammate and disciple, asked for help. He can be seen as a kind of batting instructor, but he does not teach technical aspects in detail. 스포츠토토
The ‘Legend’ from the professional home run king and youth baseball, it seems like a combination that doesn’t go well together. However, former head coach Jang’s love for baseball is irrespective of location, age, or situation. He said, “I want to play a role that helps young players play baseball fun, focused, and enjoying it. I want to have fun together.”
He recently visited the Futures baseball team in Gyeryong, Chungcheongnam-do. It is a team headed by Kim Nam-kyu, a former player and former manager of Hanwha’s first team. Former head coach Jang left Hanwha at the end of 2020 after taking over as general manager of Yook Sung-gun.
The young disciples don’t know the ‘legend’ who was the home run king.
Former head coach Jang said, “My young friends didn’t know me or coach Seon Dong-yeol. At the legendary level, Lee Jong-beom’s nose
I knew about Chi, but I knew him as ‘Lee Jung-hoo’s father’,” he laughed.
Former head coach Jang will participate in the first training of the ‘2023 KBO Next-Level Training Camp’ held at the Gijang-KBO Baseball Center in Busan from the 25th. Following last year, this year’s training was overseen by 40 players from the Little Baseball National Team who were selected by the Little Baseball Federation. Head coach Jang said
, “It’s nice to be able to make good memories while doing rewarding work for the future of Korean baseball.”
From February 8, the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) selected in Seogwipo, Jeju . The 2nd training of the ‘Next-Level Training Camp’ will be held for 30 excellent athletes who are expected to enter a high school.