Lotte Giants manager Sung Min-kyu, 41, was once a symbol of reform at Lotte .After taking over at the age of 37 in late 2019 with experience in the front office of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Chicago Cubs, he breathed new life into the organization with bold trades and player signings, and introduced a scientific pitcher training system called “Drive Line .His nickname has become “Process,” as he has repeatedly emphasized that he will build Lotte into a powerhouse by following the so-called “process,” which means doing things according to scheduled procedures. Heading into this season, his fourth in charge, he signed domestic ace Park Se-woong to a five-year, 9 billion won contract, and then brought in catcher Yoo Kang-nam (4 years, 8 billion won), infielder Noh Jin-hyuk (4 years, 5 billion won), and submarine pitcher Han Hyun-hee (3+1 years, 4 billion won) as free agents. Until May of this year, it seemed that Sung’s “process” would finally see the light of day in his fourth year in charge. The trio of free agent signings, along with Na Kyun-ahn’s ace turnaround and the play of released player Ahn Kwon-soo, led the team to the top of the league through May .In early June, it was reported that Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin visited the Busan Sajik Stadium to encourage the team and ordered them to “recruit talent based on merit like the Lotte Giants” at a group presidents’ meeting. However, Lotte’s performance dropped after June, and by the end of June, rumors of internal discord among the coaching staff surfaced, leading to some coaches being demoted to the second team. This accelerated Lotte’s downward spiral, and on June 28, the team lost its captain when head coach Larry Sutton voluntarily resigned due to health reasons. There are still 36 games left in the regular season, but unless there is a dramatic turnaround, Lotte’s fourth season as a ‘process’ will end in failure. Moreover, it is worth noting that the team’s performance has declined every year since Sung took over. In 2020, his first season in charge, the team finished seventh with 71 wins, 72 losses, and one draw (a winning percentage of 0.497), and the following year they dropped to eighth with 65 wins, 71 losses, and eight draws (a winning percentage of 0.478).Last year, the winning percentage dropped even further to 64 wins, 76 losses, and 4 draws (0.457 winning percentage), and the team remained in eighth place. This season is not yet over, but with 50 wins and 58 losses (0.463 winning percentage), the team has matched the winning percentage of the previous two seasons. In 2020, the first season under former coach Heo Moon-ho, who had a bitter falling out with Sung, the team’s performance was the best in the last four seasons. The two previous coaches appointed by Sung, Heo and Sutton, did not go out on a high note. He, whom Sung hailed as his “best hire,” was fired in May 2021, and Sutton, who took over from Barton, failed to prove his leadership skills in three seasons. Sung, who has until next year to save the team, could be involved in the hiring of a third coach, even though his current contract makes him the chief operating officer responsible for poor performance. When Sung re-signed with Lotte in September last year, his contract was reportedly for two years, rather than a “1+1 year” deal where he was evaluated for one year and extended for 스포츠토토 another.