Kim Jae-bak

2.1. Early Life and Education

Born on May 23, 1954, in Seoul, South Korea, Kim Jae-bak first encountered baseball in 1965, during his fifth year of elementary school. He attended Daegu Elementary School and Gyeongun Middle School. Despite his relatively small stature, which initially prevented him from joining a prominent high school team in the Daegu area, he moved to Seoul to attend Daegwang High School. While not initially a standout player in high school, he flourished under coach Bae Seong-seo at the newly established Yeungnam University, where he majored in Physical Education. At Yeungnam, he became a notable infielder, recognized for his hitting, baserunning, baseball IQ, and defensive prowess. In 1971, his Daegwang High School team notably won the inaugural Bonghwang High School baseball tournament.

2.2. Amateur and Early Career

Kim Jae-bak's amateur career was marked by exceptional performance. In 1977, he achieved a remarkable feat in the amateur league, leading in seven offensive categories: batting average, home runs, RBIs, runs, stolen bases, on-base percentage, and slugging. He was a key member of the South Korean national team that secured a silver medal at the 1981 World Games in San Jose. In 1982, he was called up to the South Korea national baseball team for the 1982 Amateur World Series, which was held in his home country. Kim played a crucial role in leading Team Korea to its first championship in the event, earning a spot on the tournament's All-Star team as a shortstop.

3.1. Professional Career

Kim Jae-bak joined the KBO League in 1982, at the relatively late age of 28, after the 1982 Amateur World Series concluded. He debuted with the MBC Cheongryong, playing three games in his inaugural professional season. He remained with the MBC Cheongryong until 1990, when the team was acquired and rebranded as the LG Twins. As the starting shortstop for the LG Twins, he experienced the glory of winning the 1990 Korean Series, the franchise's first championship. Following two less productive years in 1990 and 1991, the LG Twins management suggested his retirement. However, Kim expressed a desire to continue playing and was subsequently traded without compensation to the Pacific Dolphins in 1992. During his time with the Pacific Dolphins, his performance declined due to aging, and he primarily served as a playing coach. He retired from professional play after the 1992 season.

3.2. Player Characteristics and Awards

Kim Jae-bak was a right-handed batter and thrower, known for his speed and prowess as a leadoff hitter. He was particularly celebrated for his exceptional baserunning, often advancing an extra base on hits compared to other players. Defensively, he was a premier shortstop, recognized for his ability to anticipate opposing batters' tendencies and adjust his fielding position accordingly. He earned the KBO League Golden Glove Award five times in his career (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1989), solidifying his reputation as one of the league's top shortstops. In 1985, he led the KBO League in stolen bases with 50, and in 1986, he led the league in runs scored with 67. He concluded his playing career with a total of 284 stolen bases.

4.1. Coaching Career

Immediately after retiring from playing in 1992, Kim Jae-bak was offered a position as a senior coach for the Pacific Dolphins, a role he held from 1993 to 1995. This period served as his initial foray into coaching, preparing him for future managerial roles.

4.2. Hyundai Unicorns Manager

In 1996, Kim Jae-bak was appointed as the inaugural manager of the Hyundai Unicorns, the rebranded franchise of the Pacific Dolphins. In his first year, he led the team to a fourth-place finish in the regular season and advanced to the Korean Series, though they ultimately lost to the Haitai Tigers. Under his leadership, the Hyundai Unicorns achieved remarkable success, winning the Korean Series championship four times: in 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2004. During his tenure from 1996 to 2006, the Unicorns consistently performed at a high level, missing the postseason only in 1997, 1999, and 2005. In May 2004, he recorded his 700th career managerial win.

However, his time with the Unicorns was not without controversy. In 1999, as the team struggled to reach the postseason, he controversially used ace pitcher Jung Min-tae in relief appearances despite him being close to 20 wins as a starter. This perceived over-usage led to Jung Min-tae losing form and ultimately missing out on the regular season MVP award to Lee Seung-yuop. Furthermore, in 2000, Kim faced criticism for allegedly manipulating games to allow three of his pitchers-Jung Min-tae, Kim Soo-kyung, and Lim Sun-dong-to share the league's co-wins title. In 2003, despite Jung Min-tae achieving a league-leading win-loss record, his earned run average (ERA) of 3.31 was deemed too high, leading to him being overlooked for the MVP award in favor of Lee Seung-yuop, who set an Asian single-season home run record that year.

4.3. LG Twins Manager

After the 2006 season, Kim Jae-bak returned to his original professional team, the LG Twins, as their seventh manager. He signed a record-breaking contract for a KBO League manager or coach at the time, totaling 1.55 B KRW over three years, including a 500.00 M KRW signing bonus and an annual salary of 350.00 M KRW. Despite high expectations upon his return, his tenure with the LG Twins from 2007 to 2009 did not replicate his success with the Hyundai Unicorns. The team finished fifth in 2007, but dropped to last place in 2008 and seventh in 2009, failing to reach the postseason during his entire term. On May 9, 2009, he achieved his 900th career managerial win, becoming the fifth manager in KBO history to do so. His final year was particularly challenging, marked by the controversial trade of Kim Sang-hyun and internal team issues involving players like Shim Soo-chang and Seo Seung-hwa. His contract expired at the end of the 2009 season, and he was succeeded by Park Jong-hoon.

4.4. National Team Management

Kim Jae-bak also served in various capacities for the South Korea national baseball team. He was a coach for the gold medal-winning South Korean team at the 2002 Asian Games. He later managed the national team for the 2004 Summer Olympics qualifiers held in Sapporo, Japan, but the team failed to qualify for the Olympics after losses to Taiwan and Japan. He again took the helm for the 2006 Asian Games, aiming to redeem the previous Olympic qualification failure. However, the team only managed a bronze medal, suffering defeats to Chinese Taipei and a Japanese team composed of amateur players, leading to significant criticism regarding his leadership in international competitions. He also served as the hitting coach for the South Korean team that finished third in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.

5.1. "Kangaroo Bunt"

The "Kangaroo Bunt" (캥거루 번트_{Kaenggeoru Beonteu}^Korean), also known as the "Frog Bunt" (개구리 번트_{Gaeguri Beonteu}^Korean), is an iconic play associated with Kim Jae-bak. It occurred during the final game of the 1982 Amateur World Series against Japan. In the bottom of the 8th inning, with South Korea trailing 1-2, one out, and a runner on third base, Japanese pitcher Nishimura threw a pitch intentionally outside. Kim Jae-bak, misinterpreting his manager Eo Woo-hong's sign as a safety squeeze play, jumped towards the outside pitch to make contact. The resulting bunt was an infield single towards third base. Although the runner on third, Kim Jung-soo, had not started early, the play effectively became a safety squeeze. This unusual bunt, with Kim Jae-bak leaping outwards, earned it the "Kangaroo" or "Frog" nickname. The play dramatically tied the game at 2-2, setting the stage for Han Dae-hwa's subsequent three-run home run that secured a come-from-behind victory for South Korea.

5.2. "The Team That Will Go Down Will Go Down" (DTD)

The phrase "The Team That Will Go Down Will Go Down" (내려갈 팀은 내려간다_{Naeryeogal Tim-eun Naeryeoganda}^Korean), often abbreviated as DTD, became a widely recognized meme in Korean baseball. Its origin dates back to early in the 2005 KBO season. At the time, the Lotte Giants, who had finished last the previous season, were surprisingly performing well and ranked high, while Kim Jae-bak's defending champion Hyundai Unicorns were unexpectedly struggling. In an interview with a sports newspaper, Kim Jae-bak remarked, "By May, the teams that are going to fall will fall." As predicted, the Lotte Giants' performance declined after the summer, and they ultimately failed to make the postseason.

However, after Kim Jae-bak became the manager of the LG Twins, the phrase ironically boomeranged back to him. The LG Twins frequently started seasons strong, ranking high in the first half, but consistently experienced a decline in performance as the weather grew warmer, with injuries and slumps plaguing the team. This pattern led to the team finishing in the lower ranks repeatedly. Consequently, Kim Jae-bak's earlier statement was re-purposed and popularized as "The Team That Will Go Down Will Go Down," becoming a widely used idiom to describe teams that fail to maintain their initial strong performance.

7.1. Batting Records

7.2. Pitching Records

Kim Jae-bak had a very limited pitching career, appearing in only one professional game.

8.1. Positive Assessments

As a player, Kim Jae-bak was celebrated for his exceptional defensive skills at shortstop, earning five Golden Glove Awards, and his prowess as a baserunner, leading the league in stolen bases in 1985. His innovative "Kangaroo Bunt" remains a legendary play in Korean baseball history, symbolizing his strategic intelligence and clutch performance. As a manager, he is widely regarded as a "master tactician" who led the Hyundai Unicorns to four Korean Series championships, demonstrating consistent success and building a formidable team during his eleven-year tenure. His leadership helped solidify the Unicorns as a dominant force in the KBO League. His contributions as both a player and manager significantly impacted the development and popularization of baseball in South Korea, inspiring subsequent generations.

8.2. Criticisms and Controversies

Despite his successes, Kim Jae-bak's managerial career drew criticism, particularly during his time with the Hyundai Unicorns and LG Twins, as well as his national team assignments. Critics pointed to his handling of pitchers, such as the perceived over-usage of ace Jung Min-tae in 1999, which some believed hindered the pitcher's performance and MVP chances. The controversy surrounding the alleged manipulation of pitching statistics in 2000 to allow three of his pitchers to share the co-wins title also raised ethical questions.

His tenure with the LG Twins was largely considered a disappointment, as the team consistently failed to reach the postseason despite high expectations and a record-breaking contract. The team's repeated late-season collapses, which ironically gave rise to the "The Team That Will Go Down Will Go Down" (DTD) meme, led to public scrutiny of his strategic approach and team management. Furthermore, his record as a national team manager was criticized for failing to achieve expected results in key international tournaments, such as the 2004 Athens Olympics qualifiers and the 2006 Asian Games, where the team secured only a bronze medal. These instances led to a perception of his national team management being less successful compared to his club management.