{
  "id": 17758175,
  "title": "Korean Series features 2 ex-MVPs as opposing managers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/korean-series-features-2-ex-mvps-as-opposing-managers-17758175",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-02T06:52:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/sports/20261102/korean-series-features-2-ex-mvps-as-opposing-managers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The KT Wiz and Samsung Lions will clash in the best-of-seven Korean Series, commencing at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, located south of Seoul. Lee Kang-chul, manager of the KT Wiz, was honored as the 1996 Korean Series MVP following his pivotal role in leading the Haitai Tigers (now known as Kia Tigers) to victory against the defunct Hyundai Unicorns, which featured then-rookie shortstop Park Jin-man as their manager. Lee delivered a complete game shutout in Game 3 and secured a save with a single pitch in Game 5. He then took the mound in Game 6, guiding the Unicorns to a solitary run over five and a third innings, culminating in his second triumph over the series. Lee garnered 41 out of 44 votes from the media. A decade later, Park Jin-man earned the Korean Series MVP accolade for the Lions. Park achieved a batting average of .320 (7-for-25) and drove in the decisive run in the top of the 12th inning of Game 3 against the Hanwha Eagles. However, Park's performance continued to impress on a deeper level.",
  "summary": "Only three winners of the Korean Series MVP award have gone on to manage in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), and two of them will be in the opposing dugouts when the Korean baseball championship battle begins this week. The KT Wiz and the Samsung Lions will meet in the best-of-seven Korean Series starting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, just south of Seoul. Wiz manager Lee…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "2 best teams from KBO regular season on collision course in Korean Series",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/2-best-teams-from-kbo-regular-season-on-collision-course-in-korean",
        "published": "2026-11-02T00:16:24.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}