Eung-ryong Kim

Eung-ryong Kim (김응룡)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 209 lb.

• School Georgia Southern College
• High School Busan Commercial High School

• Born September 16, 1941 in Sukchon County, South Pyongan Korea

Biographical Information

Eung-ryong Kim was the most successful manager in the first two decades of the Korea Baseball Organization.

Kim attended college in the US, then returned to South Korea. He played for the South Korean national team as an outfielder in the 1962 Asian Championship; the team won a Silver Medal. He played for them in the 1969 Asian Championship then won Gold in the 1971 Asian Championship. He managed Haitai Bank from 1964-1981. He guided South Korea to a title in the 1977 Intercontinental Cup, the country's first win in a global event; they topped Team USA in the finale (Cuba sat out the event). He also managed them to a Bronze Medal in the 1978 Amateur World Series (their first medal in an Amateur World Series) and then a Silver in the 1980 Amateur World Series. When the Korea Baseball Organization was formed, Kim had a dazzling ran as head of the Haitai Tigers. From 1983 to 2000, he led the team to nine Korean Series and won every one: 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996 and 1997. He took the Korean team to a Bronze in the 2000 Olympics, upsetting Daisuke Matsuzaka and rival Japan in the Bronze Medal game.

Kim managed the Samsung Lions from 2001 to 2004; they went to the 2001 Korean Series and 2004 Korean Series but lost both of those, though they won the 2002 Korean Series in between. He was the first KBO manager to 1,000 wins and was 1,476-1,138-65 to this point. He then moved away from a managerial role for the first time in decades, serving as president of the Lions from 2005-2010, followed by another administrative role for them. In 2013, he returned as a manager for the first time in 9 years, guiding the Hanwha Eagles.

Sources

• Former IBAF site
• Korean wikipedia
• Taiwan Baseball Wiki