Reliever Seunghwan Oh is returning to his homeland to sign with the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News reports (Twitter links). Oh has inked a one-year, $490K deal to join the Lions, with whom he began his professional career in 2005.
Oh isn’t going to pitch again this year, as he’s set to undergo season-ending elbow surgery. The Rockies released Oh last month after finding out he’d need the procedure, and that parting of ways may go down as the 37-year-old’s final major league transaction. If it does, the right-hander will conclude his big league tenure with a 3.31 ERA, 10.05 K/9 against 2.23 BB/9, 45 holds and 42 saves in 225 2/3 innings divided among the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Rockies.
Oh signed with the Cardinals prior to the 2016 season after a resoundingly successful run in Asia. He pitched with Samsung from 2005-13, during which he saved a KBO-record 277 games, logged a sparkling 1.69 ERA in 510 1/3 innings and earned the nickname the “Final Boss.” Oh then had a highly productive two-year tenure with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan before he headed to the majors.
Now that he’s back with the Lions, Oh will have to overcome a couple obstacles before taking the mound again. Not only will he have to recover from his surgery, but Oh will be required to serve a 72-game suspension for a gambling conviction in Korea, according to Yoo. He’ll sit 42 games this season and the other 30 next year.
Very odd Major league baseball stint. 2016 he comes in and lights the world on fire, and after that it was just all mediocre. Might just be a prime example of the league figuring him out, which is typically the case for one year wonders.
Did he bet on baseball?
Oh no!
No, he was gambling in Macau, but Korean law bans gambling in casinos outside the country, thus was suspended for that. But he was already playing in Japan, and was released from his team there (Hanshin Tigers) (and for potential ties to a Korean crime organization).
That’s pretty interesting. Wonder why Korea is that crazy about gambling?
Maybe they just want to keep the money at home
one of the world’s best closers in recent years. shame his Majors career had to end like this.