10-game batting average of 0.563 explodes! The reason why the 35th-year-old veteran is serious about one win: "Fans come to watch baseball with money in their pockets"

*This content was translated by AI.

SSG Landers veteran batter Oh Tae-gon (35) has led his team to a dramatic comeback victory recently with his sharp batting form and seasoned competitive spirit. Displaying an astonishing explosive performance in his last 10 games with 9 hits in 16 at-bats, boasting a .563 batting average, he emphasized responsibility toward fans over flashy statistics.

On the 2nd, Oh Tae-gon appeared as a pinch hitter in an away game against Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, delivering two hits in two at-bats with two RBIs including the go-ahead run to propel his team to a 9-6 comeback victory.

In fact, SSG trailed Kiwoom 1-6 until midway through the game, facing a heavy defeat. Oh Tae-gon reflected on the game flow afterward: "I thought today's match wouldn't be easy when the opposing player Yeo Dong-ook hit a home run." But he never gave up. "As we chipped away one point at a time and (Han) Yu-seom also hit a home run, all players felt 'we can do this.' It seems our persistence until the end led to victory," he explained.

Oh Tae-gon, known as the "Man of 9 o'clock" among baseball fans for his presence at crucial moments while often waiting in the dugout, had a decisive bat again today. Appearing as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 7th inning with one out and runners on first and third while trailing 3-6, he hit a clutch RBI single to narrow the score to 4-6, igniting hope for his team.

The highlight of the game came in the top of the 9th inning with the score tied at 6-6, no outs, and runners on first and second. Oh Tae-gon executed a "fake bunt and slash" by feigning a bunt stance before switching to an aggressive swing, shaking Kiwoom's closer Yuto and hitting a go-ahead RBI single.

It turned out the decision was his own, not a pre-arranged signal. Oh Tae-gon said, "The manager did not give me a slash sign. I originally intended to bunt." However, he added, "Seeing the shortstop's defensive position, he was positioned very close to third base. I judged that if I bunted, the runner heading to third would almost certainly be out, so I switched to an aggressive swing. I thought about hitting it hard, and a large bounce came my way, so luck seemed to favor me," he laughed.

Despite being a veteran with rich experience, stepping up as a pinch hitter is always like walking on thin ice. Oh Tae-gon said, "As a pinch hitter, if I fail, I feel like we lost because of me, so I'm always burdened and nervous." He continued, "Baseball is a game of probabilities. To increase that probability even by a few percent, I use an ABS tablet to thoroughly analyze the opposing pitcher's pitch locations and heights before stepping up."

Smiling at the nickname "Man of 9 o'clock," he said, "Since I'm mostly used in the later innings, fans gave me this nickname. I'm truly grateful that they remember me that way." Oh Tae-gon added, "When the manager says 'Taegon, get ready,' I find myself checking my watch without realizing it. Today was 8:45, so I checked three times. When 9 o'clock comes, I wonder if heaven will help, but I try not to think about it and focus only on the batter's box."

With this comeback victory, SSG pushed Hanwha Eagles down to ninth place and rose to eighth. When asked about the ranking improvement, Oh Tae-gon emphasized, "Fans come to watch baseball with money in their pockets. I believe that giving them even one win as a gift is the natural duty of a professional player."

Finally, Oh Tae-gon said, "There's next season ahead, and especially for our team, there's a future called the 'Cheongna Dome Era' in 2028. Young players can only play if they catch the manager's and front office's attention, so the entire team is playing with strong motivation." He pledged to pour everything into this season for the fans until its end.

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*This content was translated by AI.