Oh Seung-hwan also expresses regret: "Amateur pitching has weakened; the commissioner agreed, so I will start by studying systematically"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Oh Seung-hwan (44), the "Closer King" who took the mound as the ceremonial pitcher at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, candidly shared the reality of Korean baseball that he has felt firsthand while recently operating a baseball training center.

Ahead of the Game 2 matchup between the Samsung Lions and KIA Tigers in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Playoffs held at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 27th, Oh Seung-hwan served as the ceremonial pitcher for the home team, Samsung. He took the mound with his son, Oh Seo-jun, and threw an accurate pitch toward the catcher's mitt, drawing cheers from a full-house crowd.

After completing the ceremonial pitch, Oh Seung-hwan met with reporters and said brightly, "I always only guided ceremonial pitches, so I did not expect to stand on the mound as the pitcher myself today. It was reassuring that my son, who is an experienced ceremonial pitcher, came up with me."

However, when the conversation turned to his role as a field coach cultivating youth and amateur players, his expression became quite serious. Oh Seung-hwan revealed an anecdote about KBO (Korea Baseball Organization) Commissioner Heo Goo-yeon's surprise visit to his training center on the 26th, the day before the ceremonial pitch, expressing deep regret over the state of amateur pitching in South Korea.

Oh Seung-hwan stated, "The commissioner visited our center yesterday, and we had a long conversation. The commissioner also pointed out that pitching has somewhat declined after watching national team games and expressed concern." He candidly added, "I have also felt it deeply in my own skin while working with amateur players at the center; I can clearly feel that 'pitching has really become much weaker.'"

He continued, "To motivate the players, I personally participate in weight training with them. It is a delicate topic, but there have not been many amateur players who I felt were more outstanding while exercising with me. That part is truly disappointing, and players need to pay much more attention to basic physical fitness and athletic ability."

While urging the players to strive harder, Oh Seung-hwan also emphasized his sense of responsibility as a coach and senior figure. He stated, "Relying solely on intuition and rough coaching has its limits now. I am operating a pitching performance lab and directly studying and preparing in areas such as biomechanics." He expressed his ambition, saying, "I want to learn systematically myself so that I can help bring out the strengths of amateur players and assist them. I hope that our center will produce national team pitchers who represent Korean baseball and outstanding players who advance all the way to Major League Baseball."

Meanwhile, Oh Seung-hwan also demonstrated firm trust in his juniors struggling on the autumn baseball stage. In particular, regarding Won Tae-in (26), who is even preparing for a bullpen appearance, he said, "(Won) Tae-in is fundamentally a player with great talent. He may feel that he has not achieved results as expected this season, but he is a player with such strong competitive drive that he will likely be grinding his teeth in this postseason." He added support by saying, "Given that he is a player with such a big heart, I believe he will fully deliver his part no matter what situation he faces."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original