Kia Tigers () are a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982 and based in the southwestern city of Gwangju. Until 2001, they were known as the Haitai Tigers. The Tigers are a members of the KBO League and are the most successful team in Korean baseball, having won the national Korean Series championship 11 times with a perfect 11–0 record. Their home stadium is Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju.
After the success of the 1980s and 1990s, the fortunes of the team began to turn, resulting in them finishing bottom of the league for the first time in 2005, and again in 2007. In 2009, however, Kia Tigers won the 2009 KBO season and 2009 Korean Series.
History
Haitai Tigers was the third professional baseball team to be created in South Korea, after the OB Bears and MBC Chungyong. They were founded on January 30, 1982, with 14 players. Kim Dong-yeob, the first manager of the team, was fired after just one month, and Jo Chang-soo took over his position and led the team to a record of 38–42. Due to the lack of position players, many players in the league both pitched and batted. Kim Seong-han, for instance, had a record of ten wins and led the league in RBIs with 69 the first year.
In 1983, Haitai hired Kim Eung-ryong as manager, who had studied baseball in the United States (and had managed Haitai's amateur baseball team from 1964 to 1981). He eventually led the team to its first championship in 1983. The Tigers won the Korean Series 4–0–1 against MBC Chungyong. Although the team did not make it to the playoffs for the next two years, it set the foundation for the golden years to come by signing in future stars Lee Soon-cheol, Sun Dong-yeol, and Kim Seong-han.
Bang Soo-won pitched the first no-hitter in Korean baseball history in 1984 against the Sammi Superstars.
Under manager Kim Eung-ryong in the years 1983 to 1997, the Tigers won nine championships, never losing a Korean Series during that span. In 1986, the Tigers finished in second place in the pennant race with a team ERA of 2.86 and a batting average of .272, to go straight to the Korean Series against the Samsung Lions. They went on to win their second Korean Series 4–1.
Until 1989, the Haitai Tigers won once more against the Samsung Lions and twice against the Binggrae Eagles to complete four consecutive Korean Series wins. Kim Jung-soo, Kim Joon-hwan, Moon Hye-soo, and Park Chul-woo respectively were named MVPs of each series.
The Tigers lost in the playoffs to the Samsung Lions in 1990, but won the next Korean Series the following year. In 1991, the Tigers set a record when the team won six out of ten possible KBO League Golden Glove Awards.
1993 was the year of rookie shortstop Lee Jong-beom, closer Sun Dong-yeol, and starters Lee Dae-jin and Lee Kang-chul. The Tigers won 81 out of 126 games and also their seventh Korean Series, defeating the Samsung Lions.
In 1994, Lee Jong-beom batted an average of 0.393, the second-highest in Korean baseball history, but the team lost the semi-playoffs to the Hanhwa Eagles. The Tigers ended up in fourth the next year due to Lee Jong-beom and Lee Dae-jin leaving the team for military service, which is mandatory for all male South Korean citizens over 18.
Star closer Sun Dong-yeol was also transferred to the Chunichi Dragons in 1996, but Lim Chang-yong and Gang Tae-won filled in his position to lead the team to its eighth Korean Series win over the Hyundai Unicorns.
The next year, Lee Jong-beom and Lee Dae-jin returned from military service and with their help the Tigers again won the Korean Series, defeating the LG Twins, to bring the total to nine champion wins.
Due to the Asian financial crisis in 1998, Haitai was forced to sell the team to Kia in 2001. Until then the Tigers were also in financial difficulty, could not convince their major players to stay. Eventually, they lost Lee Jong-beom to the Chunichi Dragons, and closer Lim Chang-yong and manager Kim Eung-ryong to the Samsung Lions.
Lee Jong-beom returned from Japan, and rookies Hong Se-wan, catcher Kim Sang-hoon and pitcher Kim Jin-woo joined between 2001 and 2002 to lead the team to the playoffs for three straight years from 2002 to 2004. But each time they were beaten, by the LG Twins, the SK Wyverns, and the Doosan Bears respectively.
Kia Tigers lost 76 games to end up in eighth place in 2005. Manager Yoo Nam-ho was fired and Seo Jung-hwan took charge, but again ended up in last place in 2007 despite his effort and joining of former MLB player Hee-seop Choi.