A flame that will burn again after 17 years of darkness,
Record every moment of the Hanwha Eagles!

“This book is a gift to the world’s greatest baseball fans, our Hanwha Eagles fans.”
Eagles retired number 52, Kim Tae-kyun

2008 will be remembered as an unforgettable year for Hanwha fans.
Because it was the year that the Hanwha Eagles began their endless decline.
However, the past when the team was evaluated as a mid-to-upper tier team has faded, and they have been trapped in the word 'rebuilding' and have gone through countless trials and errors and frustrations.
The battle for the bottom, repeated every year, and the wait that seemed to never end, only grew in the hearts of fans, yearning for 'when will the flames burn again?'
And in 2025, the moment approaches to break free from the long darkness and open a new era.
OSEN reporter Lee Sang-hak, who has been covering the team for over 15 years as a reporter covering Hanwha, has documented that long, dark tunnel from closer than anyone else.
The sweat and tears of the players, the constant shackles of rebuilding, and even the undying passion of the fans.
This book, "Fireworks Hanwha," looks back on the past 17 years of Hanwha and stands at the intersection of "the dark ages that must now end" and "the revival that is about to come."

"Flame Hanwha" is not simply a record of the baseball team Hanwha Eagles.
It is a history of patience that the team and fans endured together and waited until the end.
This book contains the weight of defeat that cannot be fully conveyed in a report card, the small spark of hope, and the belief that one can rise again.


Above all, this book conveys to readers and fans the conviction that 'the era of Hanwha will definitely come.'
The joy that will come to those who have passed through the dark ages, preparations to share that moment.
The voices of fans who stood in the stands, the stories of those who left the team and then returned, and the challenges of new players who started out unknown and are now burning like fireworks.
"Fireworks Hanwha" vividly captures the path Hanwha has taken, and at the same time, it is a cheering song and declaration for the hot spring to come.
This is the hottest and most sincere record for the flame that will burn again after a long wait.

Hanwha, who finished the second half of the season tied for 7th place (8 wins, 16 losses, .333 winning percentage), unfortunately missed out on the postseason with a final ranking of 5th place (64 wins, 62 losses, .508 winning percentage).
The record of three consecutive years of advancing to the postseason under manager Kim In-sik was also broken.
With Jeong Min-cheol and Song Jin-woo, who seemed like they would last forever, also deciding to retire one after another, Hanwha belatedly pressed the 'rebuilding' button.
This is the time when the word 'rebuilding', which will be used countless times in the future, began to appear in earnest.
It was the first time in the eight-team system that the team finished last, and manager Kim In-sik, who enjoyed eating duck meat when games were canceled on rainy days, also stepped down from his position when his contract expired.

My heart ached as I watched the news that coach Kim In-sik left in tears after receiving a deep bow from the players after the final match of the season.
--- From "Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Long Dark Age"

The 2012 season was greeted with tremendous attention.
It was all screwed up from the start.
In the opening game against Lotte held at Sajik Stadium on April 7, manager Han Dae-hwa was ejected from the game after protesting a ball call in the 8th inning.
It is the first time in history that a manager has been sent off in the opening game.
In the second game the next day, they blew a four-point lead.
First baseman Kim Tae-kyun's poor judgment was the cause of the comeback loss.

Hanwha, who started off with three consecutive losses, recorded their first win against Doosan in Cheongju on April 12th.
Chan Ho Park thrilled fans with his successful debut, pitching 6.1 innings and allowing only two runs, but by the end of April, Hanwha had fallen to last place with a record of 5 wins and 12 losses, a winning percentage of .294.
--- From "Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Long Dark Age"

A surprising rebound to second place in August (12 wins, 7 losses, .632 win percentage) briefly lit a fire under the team's hopes of overcoming last place and advancing to the semifinals, but luck was not on their side.
The good momentum was interrupted when the season was suspended for 16 days due to the Incheon Asian Games.
After the season resumed in October, they immediately fell into a five-game losing streak, completely dashing their hopes of the postseason and ultimately putting their goal of escaping last place in the dust.
On October 13th, the last home game in Daejeon, they suffered a humiliating defeat of 1-22 against Samsung.
He gave up 28 hits, including four home runs.
It was an embarrassing game in front of the home fans.
Although only 4,696 spectators attended the final home game, even after the game was decided, the fans cheered for the "strongest Hanwha" as always in the 8th inning.
The match was so miserable that the fans felt sorry for them.

--- From "Chapter 2: The Bad Fate of the Directors' Graves"

The April season began with a tumultuous winter, but the internal strife between the manager and general manager surfaced as soon as the opening three-game series ended.
After the game against Doosan at Jamsil on April 2nd, manager Kim Seong-geun said he would call four second-team pitchers to the Daejeon home stadium to personally check on them, but the team refused to allow it.
With Kwon Hyuk and Song Chang-sik out for rehabilitation early in the season, manager Kim Seong-geun, who needed more pitchers, wanted to check out the second-team pitchers.

Director Park Jong-hoon said, “If it is a request from a second-team player that will help the first-team performance, then it is okay, but if it is for training purposes, not a single player will be allowed.
We did this last year and the year before, but the club decided it wasn't right.
“That’s why we divided the duties between the first and second teams, and the manager accepted it, so I don’t understand why he’s trying to take it back now,” he countered.

Although the 2nd Army's operation and management entity was at the front, Manager Kim Seong-geun was in despair.
--- From "Chapter 2: The Bad Fate of the Directors' Graves"

After securing 3rd place in the regular season with a victory over NC in Daejeon on October 13th, the final game of the season, Manager Han Yong-deok said at the postseason launch ceremony for the first time in 11 years, “We finally did it thanks to the passionate support of our beloved fans.
“Thank you for the fall baseball season after 11 years,” he said.
Hong Chang-hwa, the cheering squad leader, said, “Thank you for always cheering for the strongest Hanwha.
He was moved and said, “The time I waited until now was not in vain.”

Amidst the cheering of the 'strongest Hanwha', celebratory fireworks were set off for 12 minutes.
A Hanwha official said, “We are so happy that this day has come for us as well,” as the fireworks display lit up the night sky as if we had won a championship.
“It’s been 11 years since the postseason, so why not make it this grand?” he said with a look of emotion.
--- From "Chapter 3: The Too Short Autumn Festival"

On the day that Kim Tae-kyun held his retirement press conference, Hanwha lost to KIA 4-10, confirming their 7th consecutive loss and their first-ever last place finish in the league.
The day after the team finished last, six players were released, and after the season ended, 11 more players were released in large numbers.

Veteran players such as starting center fielder Lee Yong-kyu, Hanwha's one-club players Song Kwang-min, Choi Jin-haeng, Ahn Young-myeong, and Yoon Kyu-jin left the team in large numbers.
With Kim Tae-kyun retired, it was difficult for the remaining veteran players to keep their positions.

--- From "Chapter 3: The Too Short Autumn Festival"

Although it wasn't intentional, Hanwha ended up in last place again that year.
They were in last place, 8 games behind 9th place KIA.
The difference in strength was so real that the intentional defeat was meaningless.
However, it was not a half-baked rebuilding that was just a word, but a rebuilding that started from scratch, and it was a season where the content was more important than the results.

They were considered a strong contender for the top 10 before the season, and although they haven't been able to get out of the top 10 since June 23, it wasn't a season that ended without a hitch.
It was a meaningful season that confirmed the growth of young players and laid the foundation for rebuilding in both pitching and batting.
In terms of process, it could be considered a success.
--- From "Chapter 4: That Tired Word, Rebuilding"

Ryu Hyun-jin kept his promise to return to Hanwha when he was strong.
At a special farewell party held by the Hanwha Eagles on January 5, 2013 to commemorate his entry into the major leagues, he said, “Hanwha is the team that made me who I am today.
If I had gone to any other team other than Hanwha, I wouldn't even dare to be in this position.
This is a team that has given us a lot, and we will continue to repay them in the future.
I'm sorry I left without winning even once.
He promised, “I will repay you in the Korean Series when I return later.”
Ryu Hyun-jin, who never forgot that promise, returned with plenty of strength left.
In the 11 years since Ryu Hyun-jin left, Hanwha has only made it to the postseason once and finished last five times.
Ryu Hyun-jin's return, which had been heartbroken by his former team's hardships from afar, seemed like a stroke of genius that would end a long period of darkness.

--- From "Chapter 4: That Tired Word, Rebuilding"

The 'goal' that Director Kim Kyung-moon spoke of was nothing else.
Win the Korean Series.
He began his career as a manager at Doosan in 2004 and led the team for 8 seasons. As the first manager of the 9th team, NC, he led the team for 6 seasons until 2018, excluding the 2nd team in his first year.
They won 896 games over 14 seasons and advanced to the postseason 10 times.
They advanced to the Korean Series four times, but were runners-up each time, failing to overcome the final hurdle.
After coaching the national team at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics but ending up without a medal, it seemed as though Coach Kim Kyung-moon's coaching career would come to an end without winning the Korean Series.
As the generational shift to younger managers took place, there were no managers in their 60s in the KBO League for five years starting in 2019.
Even at the ripe old age of 60, Manager Kim Kyung-moon waited for his 'right time' by receiving training as a minor league manager under the LA Dodgers in 2022.
He hadn't been called for over a year, but as if by fate, Hanwha found him.
The opportunity has come to relieve the frustration of winning.

--- From "Chapter 5: Is the Era of Hanwha Finally Coming?"

'Luck' is achieved when everyone's hearts come together as one.
Coach Kim Kyung-moon greatly increased the team's sense of unity by using all the players on the first-team roster through 'total baseball.'
As coach Kim Kyung-moon said, “A truly strong team is one where the players who come after are strong,” Hanwha’s backup players have become stronger.
Director Kim Kyung-moon's leadership could be felt in every word he said.
In no case did he publicly blame or scold the players.
Even in situations where it was inevitable to bring up the parts of a player's performance that he was lacking in while reviewing the game, he was careful with his words.

“I don’t want to talk about the team’s sore spots.
It's like showing my weaknesses.
“It’s not that the coach keeps talking about the parts of our players that are hurting.” Even if foreign players can’t do it, “those guys all look up articles.
He also said, “Please take good care of me.”

--- From "Chapter 5: Is the Era of Hanwha Finally Coming?"