KBO Pitcher Declares End of Career: Citing Inability to Maintain Peak Performance
Oh Seung-hwan, a veteran closer with over 500 career saves, has announced his plan to retire after the 2025 KBO season. The announcement was made at a press conference in Incheon on August 7.
The game covered by YONHAP news source saw Oh Seung-hwan pitching against the Kia Tigers in a KBO regular-season game on June 11. The match took place at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju.
In a more recent game, Oh Seung-hwan was seen pitching against the Hanwha Eagles during a KBO regular-season game at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on June 26.
Despite the impending retirement, Oh Seung-hwan has not finalized specific post-retirement plans yet. The Samsung Lions team will discuss various opportunities with him, including training as a leader or other roles within the organization, but no definitive decision has been made as of now.
At the retirement press conference in August, Oh Seung-hwan reflected on his career and thanked fans and the team. He mentioned that his "second life" has not been decided and will be discussed further with the team.
It is worth noting that Oh Seung-hwan has been a part of the Samsung Lions for at least two years, as evidenced by a 2.2 billion won deal.
The article does not provide any new information about the reasons for Oh Seung-hwan's retirement decision. He has expressed gratitude for the support from fans and the team and mentioned he will have more conversations with the club president and general manager about his life after retirement.
In summary, Oh Seung-hwan will retire after the 2025 KBO season. Post-retirement plans are still undecided, with discussions with Samsung Lions management ongoing about future roles including leadership training. He has not announced any concrete plans beyond this and is taking time to consider his next steps.
In the midst of his career, Oh Seung-hwan expressed his love for baseball by mentioning his "second life" will involve the sport at his retirement press conference. Despite the impending retirement from baseball, his passion for sports remains, as he played football in high school before focusing on baseball.
