Oh Seung-hwan of the Samsung Lions formally marked the beginning of his retirement tour by bidding farewell to SSG Landers fans and players at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on August 7. Prior to the away game against the SSG Landers, the celebrated closer took to the field to personally thank the fans and fellow athletes, signifying his final appearance at the stadium as a player.

With a bright smile, Oh Seung-hwan addressed the crowd, taking the microphone to say, “Today marks my last time playing at SSG Landers Field as a player. I sincerely thank everyone for the unwavering support, and I hope you will continue to enjoy baseball in the future.” His emotional sentiments were accompanied by thunderous applause from both Incheon baseball fans and SSG players in attendance at the pre-game ceremony.

Adding to the sentiment, Oh Seung-hwan’s symbolic entrance music, “Lazenca, Save Us” by the band Next, resonated throughout the stadium. The SSG Landers organization, together with the fans, helped make the event particularly meaningful. Team captains Kim Kwang-hyun of SSG and Koo Ja-wook of Samsung presented Oh with bouquets, expressing their respect and admiration. The ceremony concluded with players from both teams gathering on the field for a commemorative photo.

Initially, the SSG club had planned a full retirement tour to coincide with Samsung’s last scheduled visit to Incheon this season. However, due to the sudden announcement of Oh’s retirement and the resulting time constraints, only a scaled-down ceremony was held. A formal retirement tour is now set to take place at a future home game in Daegu.

Reflecting on his senior, Kim Kwang-hyun shared, “When Oh Seung-hwan moved to the St. Louis Cardinals, he reached out to help me understand the local environment, which was incredibly helpful. I hope to emulate his composure and integrity on the mound.”

On August 6, Samsung officially announced Oh Seung-hwan’s retirement, and in collaboration with the KBO and other teams, preparations for a retirement tour are underway. Oh Seung-hwan is the third player in KBO League history to receive an official retirement tour, following Lee Seung-yuop and Lee Dae-ho.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News, Samsung Lions