“I was surprised to hear that I was retiring after this game.”
Samsung Lions Oh Seung-hwan started the match against Kiwoom Heroes in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 3rd and recorded 5 hits (1 home run), 6 strikeouts and 3 runs in 5 innings.
He was anxious about starting. Oh Seung-hwan allowed a two-run home run to Kim Hye-seong in the first inning, and Lee Jung-hoo hit a one-run double in the second inning. However, Oh Seung-hwan, who ended the third inning with a tripartite, ended the inning without allowing a base in the fourth and fifth innings. In his debut as a starter at the age of 41, he pitched decently.
After the game, Oh Seung-hwan said about his first starting experience, “I think throwing the ball on the mound is the same, but the first thing was for the team to win. It made me able to play, so I have to rebound quickly and go to my position.”
At the same time, Oh Seung-hwan said about his pitching, “I didn’t have any thoughts about long innings. In the beginning, I tried to block each batter well, but it wasn’t good.” When I threw the ball, I felt that I had more power than before.”
As he started the season as a closer and was suddenly assigned the starting job, Oh could not handle many pitches. Initially, the planned number of pitches was up to 60. However, Oh Seung-hwan, who threw 63 pitches until the 4th inning, kept the mound firmly in the 5th inning and finished with 73 pitches.
Oh Seung-hwan said, “I was able to go up to the 5th inning because there were not many balls in the 4th inning. Coach Jung Hyun-wook kept telling 메이저놀이터 me to go, so I prepared too.” I looked back and said, “I was able to keep throwing while showing a good appearance.”
When Oh Seung-hwan made his first start in his career, rumors of an untimely retirement circulated. At this, Oh Seung-hwan shook his head. He said, “I got a lot of calls that surprised me. I was told that I was going to retire after this game. But I don’t think it’s time to retire. As many fans want, I will show a better figure than I do now and retire. I think it’s the right thing to do,” he said sincerely.
Oh Seung-hwan then refuted the rumor, saying, “If I am not sick, I have to work harder to rebound. That is the first thought. You don’t have to worry about retirement yet.”
