The closer is out before Game 1: Samsung and KIA's playoff roster puzzle

A closer is supposed to lock the door at the end. Samsung enters the playoffs without its usual lock, but with Koo Ja-wook back. Across the field, KIA has chosen continuity.

In the Oct. 24 KBO roster announcement, Samsung omitted Kim Jae-yoon after an arm-pain rest recommendation. Its pitching staff has 13 names, one fewer than KIA's, while left-handers Lee Seung-hyun and Baek Jung-hyun are also out with injuries. Slugger Koo Ja-wook made the roster despite recent thigh trouble. KIA kept the same players used against LG in the semifinal playoff. Game 1 is scheduled for Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. KST in Daegu.

Missing a closer and left-hand options could narrow late-inning choices, while Koo's inclusion gives Samsung a batting option. But being on the roster is not the same as a confirmed starting lineup; KIA's unchanged roster does not prescribe its game-by-game batting order either.

The real question is how each club fills the roles available to it. Published reports establish the roster decisions, not a measured fan consensus or an unannounced manager's lineup.

KIA swept LG in three semifinal playoff games, ending the series Oct. 20. Samsung entered directly as the regular season's second-place team. One side has recent game experience; the other has had preparation time. Neither advantage guarantees a result.

Yonhap's Oct. 24, 6:15 p.m. report attributes the roster decisions to the KBO announcement. Game 1 is scheduled for Oct. 25 at 2 p.m.; this is a best-of-five series. Game 2 is in Daegu on Oct. 26, followed by games in Gwangju. Weather or league notices could change the timetable.

Before first pitch, check the KBO or team updates for starters, lineups and weather changes. This is a roster story, not an advance claim about tomorrow's score or whether Koo actually takes the field.