“There is no such thing as a set formula for a short series ... Losing badly in the Korean Series two years ago made me tougher” ... Manager Park Jin-man reveals the secret behind V9

[Financial News] “The failure two years ago made me more clear-headed. There is no set formula for a short series. Pushing our strongest pitchers in unconventional ways paid off.”
The “national shortstop,” who collected six championship rings as a player, finally led his former team to its coronation as champions, 12 years after taking over as manager.
Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man credited the players who showed fighting spirit despite their injuries for the team’s ninth Korean Series title overall (V9), and expressed strong ambition to win back-to-back championships in 2027.
Samsung, led by manager Park, routed kt wiz 12-1 in Game 5 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO postseason Korean Series at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 8th, reclaiming the title for the first time in 12 years and winning the series four games to one.

After receiving the championship-winning manager award, Park Jin-man told reporters, “There were many difficult stretches even during the regular season. In the Korean Series, fewer than half the players were in normal physical condition, but everyone showed an enormous desire to win the championship. That was the biggest driving force.” He expressed his deep gratitude to players including Koo Ja-wook, Kang Min-ho, Choi Hyoung-woo and Lee Seung-min, who gave their all despite injuries.
Asked how it felt to reach the top both as a player and as a manager, he shook his head and said, “It’s enormously different.” He added humbly, “As a player, individual efforts came together to win the championship, but as a manager, the pressure of having to make decisions and take responsibility at every moment was so difficult that words can’t express it. It was entirely thanks to the players’ excellent performance.”
Park’s tactical acumen stood out in this year’s postseason for its “composure” and “unconventionality.” The painful experience of finishing runner-up to KIA in the 2024 Korean Series, with one win and four losses, became the foundation for his growth.
Park said, “I’m much more clear-headed than I was two years ago. Going through the postseason taught me the hard way that you shouldn’t be bound by a set formula in a short series,” adding, “I thought we had to keep pressing our strongest pitchers to win, and the players executed our unconventional use of the pitching staff perfectly.”

Asked why he kept Chris Paddack in through the ninth inning of Game 5, even after the outcome had tilted in his team’s favor, Park firmly replied, “It wasn’t to create a picture of the players tossing me in celebration; it was a decision based on thoroughly cool-headed calculations.” He identified Game 2 as the series’ biggest turning point: after losing Game 1, Samsung fought through 12 innings to secure a hard-fought 3-2 win. “If we’d lost that game, we would have been swept in four straight,” he said with relief.
Having enjoyed his first title as manager, Park is already looking ahead to winning back-to-back championships in 2027. The KBO League has not had a team win consecutive Korean Series titles since the Doosan Bears in 2015-2016.
“Of course, our goal next season is to win back-to-back titles,” he said. “Pitching is key over a long season. Next year, bullpen arms such as Choi Ji-kwang and Lee Ho-seong, who were sidelined by surgery and injuries, will return. We’ll build a much stronger bullpen than this year and have the strength to make a serious run at consecutive championships.”
On the futures of Koo Ja-wook and Won Tae-in, the team’s “pillars on both sides of the game” who are eligible for free agency, Park added, “They both have ‘blue blood’ flowing through their veins. Surely they’ll be wearing Samsung uniforms next year, too.” He expressed unwavering trust in them and confidence that they would stay.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter