Although he has announced his retirement, the “King of Closers” is not done with baseball yet.

Samsung Lions reliever Oh Seung-hwan expressed at his retirement press conference held at the Orakai Songdo Park Hotel in Incheon on August 7 that “I haven’t completely let go of the ball” and hopes to step onto the first-team mound once more this season. While moving toward retirement, he is determined to say a final farewell to fans on the field.

Oh will accompany the first-team squad without being officially registered on the roster. He spent much of the season in the second-tier Futures League trying to regain his form, but as his pitching velocity failed to recover sufficiently, he decided to retire before the season’s end.

“Until last week, I was still pitching in the Futures League. I am currently free of injury and in good shape. If the opportunity arises, I will prepare to pitch even if the team is losing, to appear in at least one game,” he said. Having recorded a total of 549 saves across Korea, the U.S., and Japan, he joked, “It would be better to reach 550 saves if possible.”

Oh, who decided to retire mid-season, said, “I really wanted to contribute to the team through the season, but my body didn’t cooperate. Once I judged I couldn’t perform at 100 percent, thoughts of retirement started to emerge.” He also revealed that the passing of his mother, who had always supported his son, in March affected his decision.

He met with Yoo Jung-geun, Samsung Lions owner and CEO, at the team office last weekend to announce his retirement. The Lions officially announced his retirement on August 6.

Oh is regarded as the greatest closer in KBO League history. Drafted fifth overall in the second round in 2005, he wore the Lions uniform and won the saves title four times, including seasons with 47 saves in 2006 and 2011, respectively. Over 737 games, he recorded 427 saves, with a 44-33 win-loss record, 19 holds, and a 2.32 ERA. Holding most KBO closing records, he also played as a closer in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball in the U.S.

He repeatedly expressed gratitude to fans and the team. “I have been very blessed as a player. I have spent 21 years playing, just like my uniform number 21. I thank the team and fans who made that number so meaningful,” he said.

The Lions will retire his uniform number 21, making it the fourth number to be retired in the team’s history after numbers 22 (Lee Man-soo), 10 (Yang Joon-hyuk), and 36 (Lee Seung-yeop).

After the season, Oh will step away from the role of “closer.” He has left open possibilities including coaching and appearing on baseball-related entertainment programs.

“I’ve already received a lot of calls from retired players who appear on baseball shows,” he laughed. “The team is still in the middle of the season, so I plan to have many discussions with the club going forward.” He added, “Not immediately, but when I’ve studied and prepared enough, I would like to become a coach. I hope to share the experiences I gained across many leagues with younger players.”