Hanwha Eagles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hanwha Eagles |
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| 한화 이글스 | |||||
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| Information | |||||
| League | KBO League (1986–present) | ||||
| Location | Daejeon | ||||
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| Year established | 1985 | ||||
| League championships | 1989, 1992 | ||||
| Korean Series championships | 1999 | ||||
| Former name(s) |
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| Colors | Orange, black and grey |
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| Retired numbers | 21, 23, 35, 52 | ||||
| Ownership | Hanwha | ||||
| Manager | Kim Kyung-moon | ||||
The Hanwha Eagles (Korean: 한화 이글스) are a professional baseball team from South Korea. They play in the KBO League, which is the top baseball league in Korea. Their home stadium is Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon. The Eagles have won the Korean Series (the championship) once, in 1999. They have also won their league pennant (meaning they finished first in the regular season) two times. As of 2024, the Eagles have been to the postseason (playoffs) 13 times. They finished as the runner-up in the Korean Series five times.
Contents
History of the Hanwha Eagles
The team started in 1985 as the Binggrae Eagles. Binggrae was a company owned by Hanwha. They played their first season in 1986. They were the seventh team to join the KBO League. In their first year, the team had a tough time, winning only 31 games and losing 76.
The Eagles quickly became strong. They reached the Korean Series four times in their first seven years. These were in 1988, 1989, 1991, and 1992. However, they lost each of those championship series. In 1993, the team changed its name to Hanwha Eagles. This happened after Binggrae separated from the Hanwha company.
Star Players: Pitchers and Hitters
Two amazing pitchers, Song Jin-woo and Jung Min-cheul, were key players for the team for many years. Song Jin-woo played for the Eagles for 21 seasons, from 1989 to 2009. He holds several KBO pitching records. He has the most wins (210), most strikeouts (2,048), and most innings pitched (3,003). He is the only pitcher in KBO history to win 200 games. Jung Min-cheul played 16 seasons for the Eagles. He won at least ten games for eight years in a row, from 1992 to 1999.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the team was famous for its powerful hitters. They were even called the "Dynamite Bats." This name came from Hanwha's business of making explosives. The 1999 championship team was led by American players Dan Rohrmeier and Jay Davis. Korean stars Song Ji-man and Chang Jong-hoon were also on that team. Their team had the highest slugging percentage (a measure of hitting power) in KBO League history.
Recent Seasons and Challenges
The Eagles made it back to the Korean Series in 2006, but they lost again. After 2007, the team did not make the KBO playoffs for eleven years. During this time, they had five different managers. In 2018, Han Yong-duk became the manager. He helped the team reach the postseason for the first time since 2007.
However, in 2020, the team faced a big challenge. They lost 14 games in a row, and Han Yong-duk resigned. Choi Won-ho took over as manager. The team also changed many players, bringing up new talent. On June 14, 2020, the Eagles finally broke a long losing streak. They tied the KBO record with 18 straight losses. But then, they won a game against the Doosan Bears in an exciting finish!
In November 2020, Carlos Subero became the Eagles' new manager.
Personnel
Current Lineup
Managers
Here is a list of the managers who have led the Hanwha Eagles:
- Bae Seong-seo (1986–1987)
- Kim Yeong-duk (1988–1992)
- Kang Byeong-cheol (1993–1998)
- Lee Hui-su (1998–2000)
- Lee Kwang-hwan (2001–2002)
- Yu Seung-an (2003–2004)
- Kim In-sik (2005–2009)
- Han Dae-hwa (2010–2012)
- Han Yong-duk (2012) (caretaker)
- Kim Eung-ryong (2013–2014)
- Kim Sung-keun (2015–2017)
- Lee Sang-gun (2017) (caretaker)
- Han Yong-duk (2018–2020)
- Choi Won-ho (2020) (caretaker)
- Carlos Subero (2020–2023)
- Choi Won-ho (2023–2024)
- Kim Kyung-moon (2024–present)
Retired Numbers
The Hanwha Eagles have four retired numbers. This means no other player on the team can ever wear these numbers again. It's a special honor for great players. The retired numbers are:
- 21 for pitcher Song Jin-woo
- 23 for pitcher Jung Min-cheul
- 35 for infielder Chang Jong-hoon
- 52 for infielder Kim Tae-kyun
See also
In Spanish: Hanwha Eagles para niños
