Gum, yes, gum was an important part of the Doosan Bears winning the 2015 Korean Series

Manager Kim Tae-hyeong took over the Doosan Bears in the Korean Baseball Organization at the beginning of the 2015 season. The Bears had a strong team, but one of their issues was a young, inexperienced bullpen -- Deok-Joo Ham (20) and Hyeon-Ho Lee (23) were a couple of the relievers expected to carry some of the workload. And when you're that young, pitching at such a high level, nerves can be a problem. So, what was new manager Kim's solution?

Gum. Just chew gum.

"I think chewing gum helps my players to relieve tension," Kim said. "I understand that the opposing team might look at it as unsportsmanlike. However, it leaves a strong impression and could even intimidate the opponent. I thought my players might be relieved from some of the psychological pressure."

Left-handed pitcher Jin Ya-kop admitted that the tactic worked wonders for him.

"I often lost my composure when my pitching balance was off or when I allowed a batter on base," said Jin. "So I started to chew gum, hoping to look steady and composed. It also helped me to concentrate better in the game."

The Bears finished with a 79-56 record (winning 20 more games than the year before) and won their first Korean Series in 14 years. You know what they say ... offense wins games, gum wins championships.

h/t @MyKBO