Kia Tigers
Kia Tigers | |||||
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KIA 타이거즈 | |||||
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Information | |||||
League | KBO League (1982–present) | ||||
Location | Gwangju | ||||
Ballpark |
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Established | January 30, 1982 | ||||
League championships | 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2009, 2017 | ||||
Korean Series championships | 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2009, 2017 | ||||
Former name(s) | Haitai Tigers (1982–2001) | ||||
Former ballparks |
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Colors | Red, white, black | ||||
Retired numbers | 18 | ||||
Ownership | Kia | ||||
Manager | Lee Bum-ho | ||||
Website | tigers |
Hyundai Motor Group sports | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kia Tigers (Korean: KIA 타이거즈) are a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982 and based in the southwestern city of Gwangju. Until 2001, they were known as the Haitai Tigers. The Tigers are a members of the KBO League and are the most successful team in Korean baseball, having won the national Korean Series championship 11 times with a perfect 11–0 record. Their home stadium is Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju.
After the success of the 1980s and 1990s, the fortunes of the team began to turn, resulting in them finishing bottom of the league for the first time in 2005, and again in 2007. In 2009, however, Kia Tigers won the
History
Haitai Tigers was the third professional baseball team to be created in South Korea, after the
In 1983, Haitai hired
Under manager Kim Eung-ryong in the years 1983 to 1997, the Tigers won nine championships, never losing a Korean Series during that span. In 1986, the Tigers finished in second place in the pennant race with a team ERA of 2.86 and a batting average of .272, to go straight to the Korean Series against the Samsung Lions. They went on to win their second Korean Series 4–1.
Until 1989, the Haitai Tigers won once more against the Samsung Lions and twice against the
The Tigers lost in the playoffs to the Samsung Lions in 1990, but won the next Korean Series the following year. In 1991, the Tigers set a record when the team won six out of ten possible KBO League Golden Glove Awards.
1993 was the year of rookie shortstop
In 1994, Lee Jong-beom batted an average of 0.393, the second-highest in Korean baseball history, but the team lost the semi-playoffs to the Hanhwa Eagles. The Tigers ended up in fourth the next year due to Lee Jong-beom and Lee Dae-jin leaving the team for military service, which is mandatory for all male South Korean citizens over 18.[citation needed]
Star closer
The next year, Lee Jong-beom and Lee Dae-jin returned from military service and with their help the Tigers again won the Korean Series, defeating the LG Twins, to bring the total to nine champion wins.
Due to the Asian financial crisis in 1998,
Kia Tigers lost 76 games to end up in eighth place in 2005. Manager Yoo Nam-ho was fired and Seo Jung-hwan took charge, but again ended up in last place in 2007 despite his effort and joining of former MLB player Hee-seop Choi.
Batting coach Jo Beom-hyun was promoted to the new manager position in June 2007. Former MLB pitcher Seo Jae-weong joined the team the next year in 2008, but because of a weak lineup, unstable defense and bullpen problems, the Tigers finished the pennant race in sixth place.
The 2009 season featured a rough start for the Tigers, and it looked as if the strong starting rotation of
The Tigers won the
On October 18, 2011,
In Sun's first season, the Tigers finished a disappointing fifth place after making the playoffs in 2012. Struggling for most of the year, a late playoff surge saw the Tigers fall just short of their rivals, the
Sun Dong-yeol was retained as manager of the Tigers and after a very promising pre-season, the Tigers were considered one of the favorites for the Korean Series. Their early season form was blistering and, by early May, they sat top of the table. The batters, especially Choi Hee-seop, came alive and left-handed pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong was enjoying his best run since notching up 16 wins in 2010.
But the Tigers made a disastrous trade when they off-loaded 2009 MVP
In 2014, the Tigers moved to their new home, the 27,000 capacity
Despite posting some solid batting numbers, the Tigers finished eighth in the standings, one place above the Hanwha Eagles, with a .422 winning percentage from their 128 games (54 wins, 74 losses). The team had the second-worst ERA in the League (5.52), and the joint most number of blown saves (21). Yang Hyeon-jong finished 2014 with 16 wins, his best figures since 2010. First baseman Pill hit 19 home runs for the season, the same number as Na Ji-wan and Lee Beom-ho. Infielder An Chi-hong struck a career-best 18 home runs and a .339 batting average.
The Tigers controversially re-signed manager Sun to a new two-year deal with an annual salary of 380 million won (US$359,500) and a 300 million won signing bonus just days after the regular season ended. Irate fans swamped the club's website demanding the 51-year-old tear up his new contract. Six days later, on October 25, Sun announced that he was stepping down as Tigers manager.
On October 28, 2014, the club announced that
In 2017, the club, as the regular-season champions, automatically advanced to the 2017 Korean Series. They played the winner of the playoff series, the Doosan Bears, who defeated the NC Dinos in the playoff. Kia won the best-of-seven series, 4–1. Yang Hyeon-jong was named the series' most valuable player.
Shortly after the 2019 season, the Tigers named former San Francisco Giants star Matt Williams as their first American manager.[4]
Season-by-season records
Season | Stadium | League | Finish | Regular season | Postseason | Awards | ||||||||
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Rank | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win% | BA | HR | ERA | ||||||
Haitai Tigers | ||||||||||||||
1982 | Gwangju Mudeung Baseball Stadium |
KBO |
4/6 | 4/6 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 0 | .500 | .261 | 84 | 3.79 | Did not qualify | |
4/6 | 40 | 18 | 22 | 0 | .450 | |||||||||
1983 | KBO | 1/6 | 1/6 | 50 | 30 | 19 | 1 | .612 | .268 | 78 | 3.17 | Won MBC Chungyong (4–1–0) |
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4/6 | 50 | 25 | 25 | 0 | .500 | |||||||||
1984 | KBO | 5/6 | 5/6 | 50 | 19 | 29 | 2 | .396 | .248 | 76 | 3.16 | Did not qualify | ||
3/6 | 50 | 24 | 25 | 1 | .490 | |||||||||
1985 | KBO | 3/6 | 3/6 | 55 | 29 | 26 | 0 | .527 | .272 | 99 | 3.64 | Did not qualify | Kim Seong-han (MVP) Lee Sun-cheol (ROTY) | |
3/6 | 55 | 28 | 26 | 1 | .519 | |||||||||
1986 | KBO | 1/7 | 2/7 | 54 | 34 | 18 | 2 | .654 | .259 | 99 | 2.86 | Won Korean Series vs. Samsung Lions (4–1) | Sun Dong-yol (MVP) | |
2/7 | 54 | 33 | 19 | 2 | .635 | |||||||||
1987 | KBO | 1/7 | 3/7 | 54 | 27 | 25 | 2 | .519 | .252 | 71 | 3.16 | Won playoff vs. (4–0) | ||
2/7 | 54 | 28 | 23 | 3 | .549 | |||||||||
1988 | KBO | 1/7 | 1/7 | 54 | 34 | 19 | 1 | .639 | .283 | 112 | 2.86 | Won Binggrae Eagles (4–2) |
Kim Seong-han (MVP) | |
1/7 | 54 | 34 | 19 | 1 | .639 | |||||||||
1989 | KBO | 1/7 | 2/7 | 120 | 65 | 51 | 4 | .558 | .255 | 90 | 3.34 | Won playoff vs. Binggrae Eagles (4–1) |
Sun Dong-yol (MVP) | |
1990 | KBO | 3/7 | 2/7 | 120 | 68 | 49 | 3 | .579 | .270 | 87 | 3.36 | Lost playoff vs. Samsung Lions (0–3) | Sun Dong-yol (MVP) | |
1991 | KBO | 1/8 | 1/8 | 126 | 79 | 42 | 5 | .647 | .259 | 144 | 2.89 | Won Binggrae Eagles (4–0) |
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1992 | KBO | 3/8 | 2/8 | 126 | 71 | 54 | 1 | .567 | .272 | 138 | 4.21 | Lost playoff vs. Lotte Giants (2–3) | ||
1993 | KBO | 1/8 | 1/8 | 126 | 81 | 42 | 3 | .659 | .251 | 95 | 2.92 | Won Korean Series vs. Samsung Lions (4–1-2) | ||
1994 | KBO | 4/8 | 4/8 | 126 | 65 | 59 | 2 | .524 | .271 | 93 | 3.60 | Lost semi-playoff vs. Hanwha Eagles (0–2) | Lee Jong-beom (MVP) | |
1995 | KBO | 4/8 | 4/8 | 126 | 64 | 58 | 4 | .524 | .242 | 75 | 3.06 | Did not qualify | ||
1996 | KBO | 1/8 | 1/8 | 126 | 73 | 51 | 2 | .587 | .245 | 92 | 3.14 | Won Korean Series vs. Hyundai Unicorns (4–2) | ||
1997 | KBO | 1/8 | 1/8 | 126 | 75 | 50 | 1 | .599 | .258 | 133 | 3.65 | Won Korean Series vs. LG Twins (4–1) | ||
1998 | KBO | 5/8 | 5/8 | 126 | 61 | 64 | 1 | .488 | .258 | 94 | 3.91 | Did not qualify | ||
1999 | Dream League | 7/8 | 4/4 | 132 | 60 | 69 | 3 | .465 | .278 | 210 | 5.21 | Did not qualify | ||
2000 | Dream League | 6/8 | 4/4 | 133 | 57 | 72 | 4 | .442 | .252 | 86 | 4.95 | Did not qualify | ||
2001 | KBO | 5/8 | 5/8 | 133 | 60 | 68 | 5 | .469 | .278 | 142 | 5.01 | Did not qualify | ||
Kia Tigers | ||||||||||||||
2002 | Gwangju Mudeung Baseball Stadium |
KBO | 3/8 | 2/8 | 133 | 78 | 51 | 4 | .605 | .269 | 120 | 3.92 | Lost playoff vs. LG Twins (2–3) | |
2003 | KBO | 3/8 | 2/8 | 133 | 78 | 50 | 5 | .609 | .272 | 129 | 3.62 | Lost playoff vs. SK Wyverns (0–3) |
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2004 | KBO | 4/8 | 4/8 | 133 | 67 | 61 | 5 | .523 | .267 | 143 | 4.51 | Lost semi-playoff vs. Doosan Bears (0–2) | ||
2005 | KBO | 8/8 | 8/8 | 126 | 49 | 76 | 1 | .392 | .260 | 99 | 4.81 | Did not qualify | ||
2006 | KBO | 4/8 | 4/8 | 126 | 64 | 59 | 3 | .520 | .255 | 62 | 3.33 | Lost semi-playoff vs. Hanwha Eagles (1–2) | ||
2007 |
KBO | 8/8 | 8/8 | 126 | 51 | 74 | 1 | .408 | .257 | 73 | 4.49 | Did not qualify | ||
2008 |
KBO | 6/8 | 6/8 | 126 | 57 | 69 | 0 | .452 | .260 | 48 | 4.08 | Did not qualify | ||
2009 |
KBO | 1/8 | 1/8 | 133 | 81 | 48 | 4 | .609 | .267 | 156 | 3.92 | Won SK Wyverns (4–3) |
Kim Sang-hyeon (MVP) | |
2010 |
KBO | 5/8 | 5/8 | 133 | 59 | 74 | 0 | .444 | .260 | 106 | 4.39 | Did not qualify | ||
2011 |
KBO | 4/8 | 4/8 | 133 | 70 | 63 | 0 | .526 | .269 | 106 | 4.10 | Lost semi-playoff vs. SK Wyverns (1–3) |
Yoon Suk-min (MVP) | |
2012 |
KBO | 5/8 | 5/8 | 133 | 62 | 65 | 6 | .488 | .256 | 54 | 3.90 | Did not qualify | ||
2013 |
KBO | 8/9 | 8/9 | 128 | 51 | 74 | 3 | .408 | .261 | 88 | 5.12 | Did not qualify | ||
2014 |
Gwangju-Kia Champions Field |
KBO | 8/9 | 8/9 | 128 | 54 | 74 | 0 | .422 | .288 | 121 | 5.82 | Did not qualify | |
2015 | KBO | 7/10 | 7/10 | 144 | 67 | 77 | 0 | .465 | .251 | 136 | 4.79 | Did not qualify | ||
2016 | KBO | 5/10 | 5/10 | 144 | 70 | 73 | 1 | .490 | .286 | 170 | 4.97 | Lost wild card vs. LG Twins (1–1) | ||
2017 | KBO | 1/10 | 1/10 | 144 | 87 | 56 | 1 | .608 | .302 | 170 | 4.79 | Won Korean Series vs. Doosan Bears (4–1) | Yang Hyeon-jong (MVP) | |
2018 | KBO | 5/10 | 5/10 | 144 | 70 | 74 | 0 | .486 | .295 | 170 | 5.40 | Lost wild card vs. Nexen Heroes (0–1) |
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2019 | KBO | 7/10 | 7/10 | 144 | 62 | 80 | 2 | .437 | .264 | 76 | 4.65 | Did not qualify | ||
2020 | KBO | 6/10 | 6/10 | 144 | 73 | 71 | 0 | .507 | .274 | 130 | 5.13 | Did not qualify | ||
2021 | KBO | 9/10 | 9/10 | 144 | 58 | 76 | 10 | .433 | .248 | 66 | 4.89 | Did not qualify | ||
2022 | KBO | 5/10 | 5/10 | 144 | 70 | 73 | 1 | .490 | .272 | 113 | 4.20 | Lost wild card vs. KT Wiz (0–1) | ||
2023 | KBO | 6/10 | 6/10 | 144 | 73 | 69 | 2 | .514 | .276 | 101 | 4.13 | Did not qualify |
Team
Current lineup
Managers
- Kim Dong-yeob (1982)
- Cho Chang-soo (1982) (caretaker)
- Kim Eung-ryong (1983–2000)
- Kim Seong-han (2000–2004)
- Yoo Nam-ho (2004–2005)
- Seo Jeong-hwan (2005–2007)
- Cho Beom-hyeon(2007–2011)
- Sun Dong-yol (2011–2014)
- Kim Ki-tai (2014–2019)
- Park Heung-sik (2019) (caretaker)
- Matt Williams (2020–2021)
- Kim Jong-kook (2022–2023)
- Lee Bum-ho (2024–present)
Retired numbers
Lee Jong-beom SS, RF |
Sun Dong-yol P |
References
- General
- "Complete league history and statistics" (in Korean). Korean Baseball League. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
- Specific
- ^ (in Korean) (KS Game 7) Na Ji-Wan 'goodbye home run'…KIA, realize tenth title great ambition
- ^ a b "Foreign Players in KBO — A History Lesson," Burly's Baseball Musings (August 23, 2014).
- ^ (in Korean) 'V10' 타이거즈, 12년 미뤄뒀던 '신화'를 쓰다...KIA 우승 의미
- ^ Rubin, Shayna. "Why Matt Williams left the A’s to manage a team in Korea: Former San Francisco Giants star and A’s coach is managing the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization," The Mercury News (May 11, 2020).
External links
- Official website (in Korean)
- Kia Tigers on Twitter(in Korean)