Legendary manager tosses 1st pitch before final regular-season game at Seoul stadium
SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Yonhap) -- Kim In-sik, a legendary manager who led the Doosan Bears to two Korean Series titles, threw out the ceremonial first pitch for his former team's last regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Monday.
Jamsil, which opened in 1982, is set to be demolished after this year to give way for a new dome. The Bears began their Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) life in the central city of Daejeon in 1982 and moved to Jamsil in 1985.
Former Doosan Bears manager Kim In-sik throws out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Bears' final Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Oct. 12, 2026. (Yonhap)
Kim, now 79, led the Bears to their first championship as a Seoul-based team in 1995 and repeated that feat in 2001. He is one of four managers in KBO history to manage over 2,000 games and is fourth on the all-time list with 978 wins.
"It feels great to be back at Jamsil," Kim addressed the sellout crowd of 23,750 on Monday, before the Bears hosted the Lotte Giants. "We won it all in 1995 but the title in 2001 has stayed with me a long time."
In 2001, the Bears were the No. 3 seed and began their postseason run in the best-of-three first round. After eliminating the fourth-seed Hanwha Eagles in that round, the Bears went on to upset No. 2 seed Hyundai Unicorns in the next round and then took down the regular-season champions Samsung Lions in six games in the best-of-seven Korean Series.
Former Doosan Bears manager Kim In-sik (2nd from L) embraces his former player and current Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyoung after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Bears' final Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Oct. 12, 2026. (Yonhap)
This year, the Bears will begin their postseason in the wild card round as No. 5 seed. Since the introduction of the wild card in 2015, no fifth seed has even reached the Korean Series, let alone won a title. But Kim told the crowd he had faith in this year's team.
"Just like the way we won the 2001 title as the underdog, I hope this year's Doosan Bears will take one step at a time to the top. In baseball, you just never know," Kim said, drawing a loud ovation from the crowd.
Kim was joined by the current Bears manager Kim Won-hyong and catcher Yang Eui-ji. Then Giants manager Kim Tae-hyoung, who played for Kim In-sik on that 1995 championship team, came out of the visitors' dugout to join his old skipper for a photo-op.
Kim Tae-hyoung managed the Bears to championships in 2015, 2016 and 2019.
Former Doosan Bears manager Kim In-sik (C) walks off the field after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Bears' final Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Oct. 12, 2026. (Yonhap)
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