Veteran infielder Oh Sun-jin of the Kiwoom Heroes has announced his retirement from professional baseball after 19 seasons.
The Kiwoom organization officially announced on October 11 that Oh has decided to retire.
Oh was selected by the Hanwha Eagles in the fourth round of the 2008 rookie draft, marking his debut in the professional league. He later transferred to the Samsung Lions, returned to Hanwha, and played for the Lotte Giants before joining Kiwoom for the 2025 season.
As a versatile player capable of covering all infield positions, Oh contributed to his team with reliable defense and strategic play, filling gaps whenever needed.
Over his 17-season career, he played in 1,295 games, achieving a batting average of .239 with 680 hits, 19 home runs, 251 RBIs, 296 runs scored, and 59 stolen bases. In the current season, he appeared in 61 games, posting a .191 batting average with 13 hits, 3 RBIs, and 6 runs scored.
Oh expressed his gratitude through the team, stating, "I am concluding my 19-year playing career. I am thankful to have started with Hanwha, moved through Samsung and Lotte, and finished with Kiwoom. There are many young players with great talent in Kiwoom. I believe that if they gain experience and grow, the team can become much better. I ask for your continued support."
He added, "It has been a great fortune to play baseball for 19 years. I sincerely thank everyone who has been with me during this time."
In a move to restructure the team, Kiwoom also announced that they will not be re-signing eight players, including pitchers Park Joo-sung, Oh Hye-sung, Jung Dong-jun, Lee Seung-jae, catcher Kim Ri-an, infielder Kim Byeong-hwi, Lee Joo-hyung, and outfielder Shim Hwi-yoon.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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