Samsung Lions reliever Oh Seung-hwan pitches against the Kia Tigers during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Oh Seung-hwan, the all-time saves leader in South Korean baseball, announced Wednesday he will retire after this season at age 43.
Oh has spent his entire 15-year career in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) with the Samsung Lions, notching 427 saves. The right-hander also played for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan from 2014 to 2015 and collected 80 saves there, before adding 42 saves in Major League Baseball (MLB) while pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies from 2016 to 2019.
The Lions said Oh had told the team’s owner and CEO, Yoo Jeong-keun, over the weekend that he will hang up his spikes after the 2025 season.
The Lions said they will retire Oh’s No. 21, making him the fourth player to have his number retired, alongside club legends Lee Man-soo (No. 22), Yang Joon-hyuk (No. 10) and Lee Seung-yuop (No. 36).
Oh has not recorded a save in 11 outings in the KBO this season, while posting an 8.31 ERA over 8 2/3 innings. He started the season in the minors and didn’t make his season debut until June 4. No longer possessing the zip on his signature fastball, Oh only lasted about a month with the Lions before being sent back to the minors.
According to the Lions, Oh will travel with the club the rest of the season but will not be put on their active roster. They will organize a farewell tour over the remaining course of the season, where the Lions’ opposing teams will recognize and celebrate Oh’s career.
The Lions said they will give Oh one final chance to pitch toward the end of the season.
In addition to holding the career saves record with 427, Oh owns the single-season saves mark with 47, set in 2006 and matched by himself in 2011.
Oh helped the Lions win Korean Series titles in 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Oh earned the first of his two Korean Series MVP awards in 2005 as a rookie, when he recorded a win and a save in three appearances while striking out 11 batters in seven scoreless innings.
He was also voted the Korean Series MVP in 2011 when he tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings over four outings and recorded three saves.
Samsung Lions closer Oh Seung-hwan (L) and catcher Kang Min-ho celebrate their team’s 5-4 win over the Kia Tigers during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Oh was a fifth overall pick at the 2004 KBO draft out of college and made his debut in 2005.
He won the Rookie of the Year award after putting up a 10-1 record, 11 holds, 16 saves and a 1.18 ERA. He took over as closer in the middle of that year.
As the closer from the start of his sophomore season, Oh set the new saves record with 47 while pitching to a 1.59 ERA over 79 1/3 innings.
Oh hit a speed bump in 2010 when he underwent elbow surgery but came back just as strong in 2011, matching his own single-season saves record with 47.
Oh went to Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 2014 and notched a Central League-leading 39 saves for Hanshin in his first season there — the most saves by a Korean pitcher in a Japanese season. Oh then outdid himself in 2015 with 41 saves, once again topping the Central League.
With 42 more saves in MLB, Oh remains the only South Korean pitcher to record a save in the KBO, NPB and MLB.
Oh returned to the Lions ahead of the 2020 season and led the KBO with 44 saves in 2021.
He had 27 saves last year but finished with a 4.91 ERA, his worst number for a full season, before hitting rock bottom this year.
Oh has long been known for his hard fastballs with high spin rates that gave hitters the illusion of rising near the plate. Oh’s stoic presence on the mound in high-pressure situations earned him the monikers “Stone Buddha” and “Final Boss.”
“After much deliberation, I’ve made the decision to retire,” Oh said. “I’ve been blessed to have pitched in so many games in different leagues. I will never forget the love and support I’ve received from fans. I will always be grateful.”
(Yonhap)
