There was a time when balls were hard to get out of the outfield. Even pitches to center field resulted in a lot of “fan swings. Runs and blown saves were big news.
That was 10-15 years ago. No longer are batters intimidated by Oh Seung-hwan (41, Samsung), the creator of the ‘stone fastball’. It’s not uncommon to see him aggressively attacking pitches that he thinks are worth a shot. It’s not that hard to score runs against him.
In 31 games, he’s 2-3 with a 4.67 ERA, 13 saves and two shutouts. He’s been called up to the starting rotation due to poor stuff, and he’s had some time to readjust in the second team. He also spent time in the second team due to the “glove slap” controversy. He has admitted that his fastball is gone, and he is no longer a stranger to pitching with his changeup.
This is the reality of Oh Seung-hwan in 2023. The good old days of no back door problems are gone. Samsung has the task of finding the next big closer. And it has an obligation to help Seung-hwan make the most of his final years. Seung-hwan Oh puts in a lot of effort beyond his years. But baseball certainly doesn’t play out the way it used to.
Seung-hwan Oh took the mound in the bottom of the 12th inning with a 5-4 lead against Gochuk Kiwoom on Aug. 28, but gave up one run on two hits and two walks in 1.2 innings to blow his fourth blown save of the season. Her fastball reached up to 147 mph and she mixed in a slider and a forkball, but she was unable to overwhelm the Kiwoom bats.
Kim Hye-sung had good command of her slider. He didn’t throw many strikes, and the Kiwoom batters responded well. However, in the past, Oh Seung-hwan had a lot of balls that worked even if they were driven to the center because the ball itself had a lot of power, but seeing that now, it makes you feel the passage of time. SBS Sports commentator Lee Jong-yeol, who covered the game, pointed out that Oh Seung-hwan was trying to get a favorable pitch count and was getting hit in the process.
If Oh finishes the season with an ERA in the 4s, it would be the first time in 13 years since his 4.50 season in 2010. He might even have to worry about a career-worst ERA, surpassing the 4.83 he posted in 2009. Oh’s monthly ERAs this season are 4.50 in April, 3.65 in May, 5.06 in June, and 6.43 in July. No sign of a rebound.
In 2009 and 2010, Seung-hwan Oh’s health was not normal. Seung-hwan Oh had shoulder and elbow problems in 2009 and 2010. In 2010, he was out for the season after playing just 16 games. He made a dramatic comeback in the Korean Series against SK, but couldn’t prevent a sweep.
With the exception of 2009 and 2010, Oh’s career has been mostly one-run games. That was the case from his debut in 2005 through the 2008 season, and in 2011, when he bounced back, he posted a 0.63 ERA with 47 saves. His first sub-2 ERA came in 2020 (2.64) after returning from Japan and the majors, but he hit 3.02 last year and is actually having the worst season of his career this year. Seung-hwan Oh’s career ERA is 2.06.
Seung-hwan Oh’s worst season this year shouldn’t detract from his accomplishments. He is arguably the best closer in Korean baseball history. He”ll be remembered as a legend no matter when he retires.체스카지노
41 years old. It’s true that the end is in sight. It would be nice to see him finish on a high note, but it shows that neither baseball nor life goes as planned. As soon as Oh Seung-hwan blew a blown save against Gocheok Kiwoom on the 28th, the Samsung fans in the third base infield of Gocheok Sky Dome ebbed and flowed out. It’s a bittersweet moment.