D-11

If you've been around the Tigers you know that V-10 was on shirts, patches, jerseys, signs etc. last year and it meant Victory number 10. The Tigers are the most successful franchise in the KBO's history having won 10 league championships. This year the V-11 is almost as prominent. But as of yesterday I think D-11 would be more appropriate. D meaning defeat. The Tigers lost their 11th in a row yesterday and the causes were exactly the same as most of the losses in the current streak and the current season. I don't think I need to tell you what they are but I will one more time: coach and bullpen. And if you could narrow it down to one problem it would be the coach since he's the guy who chooses who to bring out from the bullpen.

It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out the coach needs to go. LARRY Holmes could piece that together. You go from first to worst with virtually the same players on the team anywhere else and the coach is keeping a bag packed. But for some reason Jo Beom Hyeon seems untouchable. There are fans on the Kia Tiger website calling for his release every day. People at the ballpark are starting to show discontent with the coaching staff as well. Moreso people NOT at the ball park. As Yogi Berra might have said, "Lots of people are going to Tigers games now because there's nobody in the stands." If I wasn't such a fan of the conspiracy theory I wouldn't believe the team might be purposely losing games hoping to precipitate the demise of their leader. But I DO so love a good conspiracy theory!

So, until I think the Tigers are actually trying I'm not going to summarize their exploits. It wouldn't be fair because right now I support their losing efforts. I don't know if I'd give 110% either knowing that my coach would invariably try to sabotage my efforts. I WILL tell you that I think Jo himself wants the old heave-ho. He is doing everything he can to get the boot. Why, just today I checked to see who will be pitching at the game and it will be none other than the cause of more losses than any other single player on the Kia Tiger staff: Gwag Jung Cheol. He's normally a reliever but he's doing such a great job running up the losses for the Tigers this year, Coach Jo decided he'd better move him up to starter. I just wonder who Jo will call in from the bullpen after a faltering Gwag has given up 5 runs in each of the first two innings. I wouldn't want to follow THAT act!

I was planning to visit friends today out of town but I'm seriously thinking of going to the ballpark to see this massacre. With any luck it will be the beginning of the end for Jo Beom Hyun's coaching career. I hope the Tigers can find a good coach and recover from the damage Jo has done them this season. I have been on the Lee Jong Beom bandwagon for a while but I get the feeling he doesn't want to coach the team. Most likely because he sees Coach Jo, a former superstar for the Haitai Tigers in the glory years, doing a terrible job but not getting sacked because of the respect people have for his days as a player. He probably doesn't want to be exactly like Jo, although I imagine he'd be a more knowledgeable coach and a helluva lot more of a player's coach. That's what this team needs. We'll see what happens.

If you want to check out the meaningless stats from a team that's coasting along at maybe 75% with a coach that's trying to get himself fired the "honourable" way, just check the KBO website at www.koreabaseball.com