KBO holds catcher camp with Lee Man-soo
Forty ninth-grade youth catchers across South Korea are receiving specialized defensive instruction from a four-man coaching panel featuring Lee Man-soo, starnewskorea.com reported. The Korea Baseball Commission announced that the five-day training initiative, known as the 2026 KBO Academy Catchers Camp, runs from October 31 through November 4 at the KBO base in Ppyeongwon County, Chungbuk Province.
Mentors Lead Intensive Defensive Drills
The program targets amateur athletes who lack access to position-specific professional coaching. Catching requires distinct defensive skills and game-management abilities that differ from other field positions. Four veteran former catchers comprise the coaching staff: Lee Man-soo, Kang Sung-woo, Cha Il-mok, and Lee Sung-woo. Kang, Cha, and Lee Sung-woo all serve on the KBO talent development committee. Lee Sung-woo previously worked as a catcher coach at the Next Level national training camp for eighth-grade prospects this past August.
The curriculum emphasizes core defensive mechanics, including receiving, throwing footwork, blocking, and tag plays. Instructors focus on stabilizing pitch reception, throwing accurately to prevent stolen bases, and deadening one-bounce balls with the body. Alongside technical work, players undergo physical conditioning designed to build hip flexibility, lower-body balance, and core strength necessary for the repeated crouching and standing demands of the position. Educational seminars on fair play and sports ethics accompany the physical workouts.
KBO Catcher Camp Follows Joint Training for Pitchers
This year’s catcher-specific format follows a broader joint camp held by the KBO in 2023 for ninth-grade pitchers and catchers, which served 40 pitchers and 41 catchers with Lee Man-soo and Kang Sung-woo also participating as mentors. Ppyeongwon County supplies the facilities, including the baseball field, indoor training hall, and transportation, while Dong-A Otsuka supplies beverages for the athletes.
Lee Man-soo played his KBO career as a catcher for the Samsung Lions from the league’s inaugural 1982 season through 1997, appearing in 1,449 games with a .296 batting average, 252 home runs, and 861 RBIs. He led the league in home runs for three consecutive seasons from 1983 to 1985 and swept the offensive triple crown in 1984. After his playing career, he coached with the Chicago White Sox in Major League Baseball and managed the SK Wyverns, subsequently dedicating his time to baseball promotion in Southeast Asian nations such as Laos. Fellow instructors Kang Sung-woo played for the Lotte Giants and SK Wyverns before coaching pitching and catching across multiple professional clubs, Cha Il-mok caught for the KIA Tigers and Hanwha Eagles, and Lee Sung-woo played for SK, KIA, and the LG Twins.
