Oh Ji-Hwan
Encyclopedia
Oh Ji-Hwan (born March 12, 1990 in Gunsan
, Jeollabuk-do
) is a South Korea
n shortstop
who plays for the LG Twins
in the Korea Baseball Organization
. He bats left-handed
and throws right-handed.
in Seoul
, Oh was considered one of the top shortstop
prospects in the Korean high school baseball league along with An Chi-Hong
. Oh was also a power pitcher
who occupied the No. 1 spot in the starting rotation of his team.
In 2008, he was selected for the South Korea national junior baseball team to compete at the World Junior Baseball Championship
, where they claimed their fifth tournament title. Oh played in all eight games for the team as an infielder
, designated hitter
and relief pitcher
, and was named to the All-Star tournament team as a designated hitter.
in the first round of the 2009 KBO Draft and made his pro debut on September 12, 2009. He had one at-bat as a pinch hitter
in that game, striking out swinging to SK Wyverns
pitcher Gary Glover
in the top of the seventh inning. He appeared in only five games with the Twins in 2009, getting one hit and striking out five times in nine at-bats.
On March 27, 2010, Oh hit his first professional league home run off Yoon Sung-Hwan
in the 2010 KBO Opening Day game, going 2-for-4 and driving in three runs in a 7-5 win over the Samsung Lions
. During the 2010 season, Oh was impressive enough to earn the starting shortstop job for the Twins over another candidates. He led the league in strikeouts with 137 but drove in 61 runs, the most in team history by a shortstop for a single season, and hit 13 home runs, the most among the starting shortstops in the league. After the 2010 season, Oh was selected for the South Korea national baseball team to compete in the Intercontinental Cup
held in Taichung
.
Gunsan
Gunsan is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is located on the south bank of the Geum River just upstream from its exit into the Yellow Sea. Gunsan is served by frequent railway service on the Gunsan Line from Iksan. It is also connected to the Seohaean Expressway.Kunsan Air Base...
, Jeollabuk-do
Jeollabuk-do
Jeollabuk-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Jeolla province, and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
) is a South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
who plays for the LG Twins
LG Twins
LG Twins Baseball Club is a Korea Professional Baseball team based in Seoul, South Korea. The club was known as the MBC Blue Dragons owned by the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation until , when they were taken over by the LG Group...
in the Korea Baseball Organization
Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. KBO should not be confused with the Korea Professional Baseball League. KBO was founded in 1981 and has been governing two leagues, Korea Professional Baseball and Futures League since...
. He bats left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
and throws right-handed.
Amateur career
While attending Kyunggi High SchoolKyunggi High School
Kyunggi High School is the oldest modern secondary school in Korea, and has educated many leaders of South Korean society. Before the abolition of high-school entrance exams, it was the highest-ranked school in the country. It is located in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, today one of South Korea's most...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, Oh was considered one of the top shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
prospects in the Korean high school baseball league along with An Chi-Hong
An Chi-Hong
An Chi-Hong is a South Korean infielder who plays for the Kia Tigers in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.- Amateur career:...
. Oh was also a power pitcher
Power pitcher
In baseball, a power pitcher is a pitcher who relies on the velocity of his pitches, sometimes at the expense of accuracy. Power pitchers usually record a high number of strikeouts and statistics such as strikeouts per 9 innings pitched are common measures of power...
who occupied the No. 1 spot in the starting rotation of his team.
In 2008, he was selected for the South Korea national junior baseball team to compete at the World Junior Baseball Championship
World Junior Baseball Championship
The IBAF AAA World Junior Championships is an under-18 international baseball competition sponsored by the International Baseball Federation , which was first held in 1981 in United States...
, where they claimed their fifth tournament title. Oh played in all eight games for the team as an infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
, designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
and relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
, and was named to the All-Star tournament team as a designated hitter.
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Junior Baseball Championship 2008 World Junior Baseball Championship The 2008 World Junior AAA Championship was held in Edmonton, Canada from July 25 through August 3, 2008.-Knockout stage:-Fifth through eighth place:-Final standings:-External links:**... |
 |
.393 BA (11-for-28), 9 RBI, 8 R, 5 SB, 5 BB 1-0; 6.75 ERA (1 G, 2.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 K) All-Star (DH Designated hitter In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to... ) |
Professional career
Oh was drafted by the LG TwinsLG Twins
LG Twins Baseball Club is a Korea Professional Baseball team based in Seoul, South Korea. The club was known as the MBC Blue Dragons owned by the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation until , when they were taken over by the LG Group...
in the first round of the 2009 KBO Draft and made his pro debut on September 12, 2009. He had one at-bat as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
in that game, striking out swinging to SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns Baseball Club is a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 2000. Based in Incheon, they play their home games at Munhak Baseball Stadium.Their current manager is Man Soo Lee .-History:...
pitcher Gary Glover
Gary Glover
John Gary Glover was a Major League Baseball pitcher who currently plays for the SK Wyverns of the Korean Baseball League...
in the top of the seventh inning. He appeared in only five games with the Twins in 2009, getting one hit and striking out five times in nine at-bats.
On March 27, 2010, Oh hit his first professional league home run off Yoon Sung-Hwan
Yoon Sung-Hwan
Yoon Sung-Hwan is a starting pitcher who plays for the Samsung Lions in the Korea Baseball Organization...
in the 2010 KBO Opening Day game, going 2-for-4 and driving in three runs in a 7-5 win over the Samsung Lions
Samsung Lions
Samsung Lions Baseball Club is a Korea Professional Baseball team founded in 1982. They are based in Daegu and are members of the Korean Baseball Organization. Their home stadium is Daegu Baseball Stadium...
. During the 2010 season, Oh was impressive enough to earn the starting shortstop job for the Twins over another candidates. He led the league in strikeouts with 137 but drove in 61 runs, the most in team history by a shortstop for a single season, and hit 13 home runs, the most among the starting shortstops in the league. After the 2010 season, Oh was selected for the South Korea national baseball team to compete in the Intercontinental Cup
2010 Intercontinental Cup (baseball)
The 2010 IBAF Intercontinental Cup was an international baseball competition, held in Taichung, at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, and Douliu, at the Douliu Baseball Stadium, Chinese Taipei from October 23 to 31, 2010.-Teams:...
held in Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
.
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intercontinental Cup 2010 Intercontinental Cup (baseball) The 2010 IBAF Intercontinental Cup was an international baseball competition, held in Taichung, at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, and Douliu, at the Douliu Baseball Stadium, Chinese Taipei from October 23 to 31, 2010.-Teams:... |
6th | .250 (6-for-24), 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R |
External links
- Career statistics and player information from the KBO official website