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| In this file photo from April 27, Oh Jae-won of the Doosan Bears celebrates his RBI single against the NC Dinos during the bottom of the eighth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. Yonhap |
Oh Jae-won, a feisty captain of two Korean baseball championship squads, announced his retirement Wednesday at 37.
The Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said Oh has decided to call it quits after 16 seasons in the league. They added they will hold a retirement ceremony for Oh prior to their regular season finale on Oct. 8 at their home, Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul.
Oh spent his entire career with the Bears, helping them to Korean Series titles in 2015, 2016 and 2019. The speedy second baseman was the captain of the 2015 and 2019 championship teams.
Over 1,570 games, Oh batted .267/.342/.371 with 64 home runs, 521 RBIs, 678 runs scored and 289 steals. He is 14th all time in steals and third among all active players.
Oh helped South Korea to gold medals at the 2014 Asian Games and the 2015 World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12.
Oh beat the Bears to the retirement announcement, having earlier posted his letter to fans on his social media.
"This is not a goodbye but a new beginning, and I'd like my fans to be there with me," Oh wrote. "On Oct. 8, I want to be sent off one final time. I'll be out there with a smile on my face."
In the team statement, Oh thanks the Bears' ownership and front office for allowing him to start a new chapter in his life.
The Bears played in a record seven consecutive Korean Series from 2015 to 2021, but that streak has come to an end this year, as the Bears have been eliminated from postseason contention altogether.
With the Bears rebuilding for the future, Oh has been pushed out of their long-term picture. He has only played a career-low 17 games this year, none since April 29. Even in the minor league, Oh's last game came on May 19. (Yonhap)
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