” Seung-hwan Oh, the ‘Stone Buddha’, started his professional life through the Samsung Lions’ nomination with the 5th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2005 rookie draft. Oh Seung-hwan appeared in 48 games in the 2013 season and recorded 4 wins, 1 loss, 28 saves, and an average ERA of 1.74.
Oh Seung-hwan pitched in 64 games in the first season after transferring to Hanshin, recording 2 wins, 4 losses, 5 holds, 39 saves, and an average ERA of 1.76. and laid the foundation for advancing to the major leagues. He didn’t play for long at Hanshin, but it was enough to plant an impact on Japanese fans.
Oh Seung-hwan returned to Korea in the 2020 season after passing through Japan and the major leagues, and in 64 games in 2021, he recorded 2 losses, 44 saves, and an average ERA of 2.03, becoming the ‘oldest salvation king’. Although he had a bit of a sluggish period last season, Oh showed off his healthy appearance by finishing the season with 57 games, 6 wins, 2 losses, 2 holds, 31 saves, and an average ERA of 3.32.
Recently, the KBO League is undergoing a generational shift as veteran players announce their retirement one by one. Recently, as ‘Joseon’s number 4 hitter’ Lee Dae-ho ended his active career, only Oh Seung-hwan, Choo Shin-soo, and Kim Kang-min (SSG Landers), who were called ‘Golden Born in 1982’, remained. However, the word ‘retirement’ is not yet in Oh Seung-hwan’s head. 메이저놀이터
Oh Seung-hwan, who is currently preparing for the 2023 season in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, had an interview with Japanese reporters on the 4th (hereinafter Korean time). According to Japan’s ‘Sponich Annex’, Oh Seung-hwan said, “Lee Dae-ho also retired,” saying, “If I’m not in good shape, I’ll think about retirement, but I haven’t fallen at all. I’m not thinking about retirement.” “I’m just looking forward to this season. . Retirement is not in my head,” he drew a line.
Oh Seung-hwan has 370 saves in the KBO league, 80 saves in Japan, and 42 saves in the major leagues, and is recording a personal total of 492 saves. If he adds only 8 more saves in the 2023 season, he will climb the gold medal of 500 saves in Korea, the US and Japan. He said, “I don’t practice or play while caring about the record. If you do your best, the record will follow.”
Continuing, Oh Seung-hwan said, ‘Even if you look around the world, there are not many closers at that age (40 years old). When asked what the secret is, he said, “I don’t care about being old. It’s the same for any player, but I want to change the atmosphere where veteran players ask age first before their skills.” , I want to prepare properly before asking these questions. I haven’t played the game yet, but the preparation process is better than last year.”
Samsung will have a practice match against Hanshin on the 19th. When asked if he would throw to Hanshin, Oh Seung-hwan said, “I probably won’t. If I throw to Hanshin, it’s burdensome.” I was able to achieve good results because I helped him,” recalling his days in Japan.
Finally, when Oh Seung-hwan was asked, “Is there any possibility of working in Japan as a coach at Hanshin in the future?” he said, “If I get the chance, I can tell you the secret to my success, and I think it will be a learning experience.”