The KBO has referred three SSG Landers players to a punishment committee for violence and group corporal punishment. This is a disciplinary procedure for wrongdoing.
Pitcher Lee Won-jun, who hit a junior with his bat, has already been suspended by the club, but the KBO’s punishment committee will also impose discipline. The other two players will only be disciplined by the KBO’s punishment committee in accordance with the agreement of the 10 KBO clubs, which prohibits ‘double punishment’.
Assault and corporal punishment should never happen. Violence, which should be eradicated, is a sensitive issue not only in sports but also in society as a whole. In this context, it is natural that the three SSG “seniors” were disciplined.
However, it is not only the players who have been disciplined, but also their coaches, other seniors and juniors who need to reflect on this incident. Including the rookies.
Rookies are professionals. They have people younger than them watching. A year ago, they were seniors in high school, and they need to remember that they are responsible for their words and actions.
In this case, the assault and collective corporal punishment of the players under discipline was wrong, regardless of the reason. This should be a wake-up call to all baseball players, including SSG, that if they want to “educate,” they need to find a way to do it other than assault and corporal punishment.
SSG players. / OSEN DB
This is where the juniors should also look at themselves. On the sixth day of the SSG Futures squad’s troubles, Player A called the juniors together to kick B, a rookie this year, for being cocky. After the bullying, Player C hit Player B with a bat for causing it.
Player C is Lee Won-jun, who was expelled from the team. D, who was dissatisfied with the group harshness after Lee Won-jun’s assault, continued the group harshness on the juniors.
Assault, secondary and tertiary group corporal punishment should not be tolerated. However, the person who caused it should also be held accountable. I’m not saying the rookie did anything wrong. However, there is no team where teamwork is not important.
In the case of the NC Dinos, manager Kang Myung-ho sent a strong message by removing key outfielder Park Gun-woo from the first-team roster, saying that he didn’t want him to act out of character. It showed that star players and first-team players alike can be removed from the squad without exception if their behaviour goes against the unity of the team.
While assaults and group corporal punishment are never rationalised, there are some players who treat every word as a nagging reminder and don’t listen. Of course, even if they are young, they are professional athletes and adults, and they have to take responsibility for themselves. You can’t impose yourself as a senior. However, if there”s a breakdown in teamwork, the person who caused it should be held accountable.