History of Kia Tigers in Timeline

The Kia Tigers are a professional baseball team in the KBO League, based in Gwangju, South Korea, and established in 1982. Formerly known as the Haitai Tigers until 2001, they hold the record for the most Korean Series championships, boasting twelve titles with an undefeated record. Their home games are played at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field.

January 30, 1982: Haitai Tigers Founded

On January 30, 1982, the Haitai Tigers were founded as the third professional baseball team in South Korea, with 14 players.

1982: Kia Tigers Founded

In 1982, the Kia Tigers, originally known as the Haitai Tigers, were founded as a South Korean professional baseball team based in Gwangju. They became members of the KBO League.

1983: Kim Eung-ryong's Tenure as Manager Begins

In 1983, Kim Eung-ryong began his tenure as manager of the Tigers, leading them to nine championships by 1997.

1983: Kim Eung-ryong Hired as Manager and First Championship

In 1983, Kim Eung-ryong was hired as manager of the Haitai Tigers, and he led the team to its first championship in the same year, winning the Korean Series against MBC Chungyong 4–0–1.

1984: First No-Hitter in Korean Baseball

In 1984, Bang Soo-won pitched the first no-hitter in Korean baseball history against the Sammi Superstars.

1986: Second Korean Series Win

In 1986, the Tigers finished second in the pennant race and went on to win their second Korean Series 4–1 against the Samsung Lions.

1989: Four Consecutive Korean Series Wins Completed

By 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.

1990: Playoff Loss to Samsung Lions

In 1990, the Tigers lost in the playoffs to the Samsung Lions.

1991: Korean Series Win and Golden Glove Awards Record

In 1991, the Tigers won the Korean Series and set a record by winning six out of ten possible KBO League Golden Glove Awards.

1993: Seventh Korean Series Win

In 1993, featuring 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 their seventh Korean Series, defeating the Samsung Lions.

1994: Kim Ki-tae Led League in Home Runs

In 1994, Kim Ki-tae led the League in home runs.

1994: Lee Jong-beom's Batting Average and Semi-Playoff Loss

In 1994, Lee Jong-beom had an average of 0.393, the second highest in Korean baseball history, but the team lost the semi-playoffs to the Hanhwa Eagles.

1996: Eighth Korean Series Win

In 1996, despite star closer Sun Dong-yeol's transfer, Lim Chang-yong and Gang Tae-won filled his position, leading the team to its eighth Korean Series win over the Hyundai Unicorns.

1997: End of Kim Eung-ryong's Tenure as Manager

By 1997, under manager Kim Eung-ryong, the Tigers had won nine championships, never losing a Korean Series during that span.

1997: Kim Ki-tae Won Batting Title

In 1997, Kim Ki-tae won the batting title.

1997: Last Double-Victory Before 2009

The 2009 KBO season and Korean Series win marked the first "double- victory" (having the best record in the regular season and then winning the Korea Series) by a team in the KBO since 1997.

1998: Financial Crisis

In 1998, due to the Asian financial crisis, Haitai was forced to sell the team to Kia in 2001.

2001: Team Sold to Kia

In 2001, Haitai was forced to sell the team to Kia due to the Asian financial crisis.

2001: Lee Jong-beom Returns From Japan

In 2001, Lee Jong-beom returned from Japan to play for the Tigers. New rookies were joining at the same time to help the team reach the playoffs for three years.

2001: Name Change to Kia Tigers

In 2001, the Haitai Tigers were renamed the Kia Tigers.

2002: Playoff Appearance

In 2002, the Kia Tigers made it to the playoffs, but were beaten by the LG Twins.

2004: Playoff Appearance

In 2004, the Kia Tigers made it to the playoffs, but were beaten by the Doosan Bears.

2005: Finished Bottom of the League

In 2005, the Kia Tigers finished at the bottom of the league for the first time.

2005: Eighth Place Finish and Manager Fired

In 2005, the Kia Tigers lost 76 games to end up in eighth place, resulting in manager Yoo Nam-ho being fired.

June 2007: Jo Beom-hyun Promoted to Manager

In June 2007, batting coach Jo Beom-hyun was promoted to the new manager position for the Kia Tigers.

2007: Last Place Finish Despite New Manager and MLB Player

In 2007, despite the efforts of new manager Seo Jung-hwan and the addition of former MLB player Hee-seop Choi, the Kia Tigers ended up in last place.

2007: Repeated Bottom Finish

In 2007, the Kia Tigers again finished at the bottom of the league.

2008: Sixth Place Finish

In 2008, despite the addition of former MLB pitcher Seo Jae-weong, the Tigers finished the pennant race in sixth place due to a weak lineup, unstable defense, and bullpen problems.

2009: Won KBO Season and Korean Series

In 2009, the Kia Tigers won both the KBO season and the Korean Series.

2009: Kim Sang-hyeon MVP

Kim Sang-hyeon won the MVP award in 2009.

2009: Pennant Win

The 2009 season featured a rough start for the Tigers, but with Lee Jong-beom's leadership, Choi Hee-seop's revival, and Kim Sang-hyeon's hitting, the Tigers won the pennant with the second-lowest team ERA in the league (3.92) and a win percentage of 0.609.

2010: Yang Hyeon-jong's Successful Run

Left-handed pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong was enjoying his best run since notching up 16 wins in 2010.

October 18, 2011: Sun Dong-yeol and Lee Soon-cheol Return

On October 18, 2011, Sun Dong-yeol returned to the Tigers as the new manager, and Lee Sun-choel was named the new head coach.

2012: Fifth Place Finish

In 2012, Sun's first season as manager, the Tigers finished in a disappointing fifth place after making the playoffs.

2013: Kim Ki-tae Led LG Twins to Post-Season

In 2013, Kim Ki-tae led the LG Twins to their first post-season in eleven years but quit just a month into the new season.

2013: Late Playoff Surge and Pitching Success

In 2013, despite struggling for most of the year, a late playoff surge saw the Tigers fall just short of their rivals. Starting pitchers Seo Jae-weong, Kim Jin-woo and Yoon Suk-min all posted complete-game wins.

2013: Disastrous Trade and Season Outcome

In 2013, the Tigers made a disastrous trade by off-loading Kim Sang-hyeon to the SK Wyverns, ultimately finishing the season in eighth place with 51 wins.

October 28, 2014: Kim Ki-tae Announced as New Manager

On October 28, 2014, the club announced that Kim Ki-tae would be their new manager, having signed a three-year deal.

2014: Eighth Place Finish and Player Stats

In 2014, the Tigers finished eighth in the standings. Yang Hyeon-jong had 16 wins, while Pill, Na Ji-wan and Lee Beom-ho hit 19 home runs each. An Chi-hong had a career-best 18 home runs and a .339 batting average.

2014: Move to New Stadium and Player Changes

In 2014, the Tigers moved to their new home, the Gwangju KIA Champions Field. The team had changes in players, including Lee Yong-kyu and Yoon Suk-min leaving, and Kim Byung-hyun joining.

2017: 2017 Korean Series Win

In 2017, the Kia Tigers, as the regular-season champions, won the 2017 Korean Series against the Doosan Bears, 4–1. Yang Hyeon-jong was named the series' most valuable player.