Legendary Reliever Oh Seung-hwan to Hold Retirement Ceremony and Have Number Retired at Daegu

Oh Seung-hwan, renowned as Korean baseball’s “final boss,” will hold his official retirement ceremony with the Samsung Lions on September 30. The event will take place at Daegu Samsung Lions Park during the last regular season game against the KIA Tigers, where his iconic jersey number will also be permanently retired.

The club officially announced on August 27 that Oh Seung-hwan’s farewell tour will begin on August 28 at Seoul’s Jamsil Baseball Stadium during a game against the Doosan Bears. The tour is scheduled to continue with stops on August 31 at Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park against the Hanwha Eagles and September 10 at Gwangju Kia Champions Field for a match with the KIA Tigers.

Oh’s tour will also include a game on September 11 at Daegu Samsung Lions Park versus the SSG Landers, marking his fourth farewell event. Previously, on August 7, Oh received a short retirement tribute during his final visit to Incheon SSG Landers Field, although an official ceremony could not be held at that time. The Lions have announced that a formal retirement event with SSG will now be held in Daegu.

Oh Seung-hwan officially declared his retirement from professional baseball on August 6. Following his announcement, he has planned a series of farewell appearances, including games at Changwon NC Park (NC Dinos on September 18), Seoul’s Jamsil Stadium (LG Twins on September 20), Suwon KT Wiz Park (KT Wiz on September 21), Busan Sajik Stadium (Lotte Giants on September 26), and Gocheok Sky Dome (Kiwoom Heroes on September 28), allowing him to bid farewell to fans around the country.

For now, Oh continues to train with the first-team squad and may still appear in games during the remainder of the season, depending on team circumstances.  

Oh Seung-hwan currently holds a career total of 549 saves spanning Korea, the US, and Japan—raising anticipation as to whether he will accomplish the milestone of 550 career saves before officially hanging up his glove.

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

Photo=Yonhap News Agency