Coach Kim Jong-ho, the NC Dinos’ all-time stolen base leader, is returning to his family after a five-year absence. With plenty of experience coaching at the collegiate level, it will be interesting to see if he can pass on the stolen base skills that made him a standout during his playing days.
NC had a stellar 2023 season, shattering any outside predictions of a bottom-tier finish. The team finished the regular season with 75 wins, two ties, and 67 losses to finish fourth in the league and qualify for the postseason.굿모닝토토 도메인
After sweeping the Doosan Bears in one game in the wild-card decider, NC advanced to the semifinals and swept the third-place SSG Landers in a three-game series to remain undefeated in fall baseball through the playoffs.
Coach Kim Jong-ho, who won the 2013 season with 50 stolen bases. Photo by Kim Young-gu
In the playoffs, NC pushed second-place KT WIZ to the brink of elimination with two straight wins at home. However, NC, who gradually became exhausted in the breathless fall baseball race, suffered its first loss of the fall baseball season in the third game of the playoffs and then dropped the fourth and fifth games, resulting in a reverse sweep and a ticket to the Korean Series.
Still, NC walked away from the Fall League stage applauded for their two-hit tenacity in the postseason. Now, NC must begin preparations to return to fall baseball in 2024 at a higher level.
The team is also expected to announce a coaching staff reshuffle soon after the 2023 season. According to MK Sports, Jong-ho Kim, the Dinos’ inaugural stolen base king, will join the first team coaching staff for the 2024 season.
Kim Jong-ho is a left-handed hitting outfielder who joined the Samsung Lions in the fourth round of the 2007 rookie draft. After a stint with the Sangmu Baseball Club without making a first-team appearance, Kim started a new life in the NC uniform through a special designation after the 2012 season ended.
Kim made the jump to the full-time roster in 2013, his first season in the NC first team, and became the Dinos’ first stolen base leader with 50 steals in the season. After holding the starting outfield spot for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, Kim began to see his playing time dwindle in 2016 and decided to retire from the game after the 2017 season.
He began coaching in 2018 and has been coaching in the amateur baseball scene since 2021 as the head coach of Gangneung Youngdong University. Recognized for his coaching skills, Kim will take his first step into professional coaching ahead of the 2024 season when he is called up by the Chinjung team.
Meanwhile, NC Pitching Coordinator Coach Lee Yong-hoon, who was recently rumored to be moving to another team, has confirmed that he will remain with the team until “this point.