Kim Seong Keun (1941)

Other name: 김성근 金星根 Kim Seong Geun Kim Sung Keun Kim Sung Geun

Age: 83

Birthday: October, 30, 1941

Nationality: Kyoto, Japan

Height: 180 CM

Biography: Kim Seong Keun is a Japanese-born, South Korean retired pitcher and manager of several teams of the KBO League. He was born in Kyoto during the Japanese occupation of Korea and graduated from Katsura High School but did not attend college. Later, Dong-A University granted him an honorary bachelor's degree. He managed to play several years as a left-handed pitcher. However, he is most recognized by his managerial career that began as a pitching coach for the OB Bears (now Doosan Bears) in 1982. He was elevated to manager in 1984 and won the KBO Manager of the Year award in 1986. He then moved on to the Pacific Dolphins in 1989-1990, where he won his first playoff series and later managed the Samsung Lions in 1991–1992. He was named coach of the Haitai Tigers (now Kia Tigers) in 1994–1995 and managed the Ssangbangwool Raiders from 1996 until 1999. After a few brief stints as coach, he managed the LG Twins in 2002 reaching his first Korean Championship Series which he lost. He returned to Japan to be a bench coach of the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2005 and later returned to South Korea were he earned the most success of his career leading the SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers) to 3 championships in 2007, 2008 and 2010 and reaching the 1,000-win milestone in 2008. He had a few more managerial stints that were not successful. Finally, on October 2022, and after finishing the season as a coach of the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan, he announced his retirement after 40 years of coaching. (Source: Namu Wiki)