His best performance since switching to KT Wiz. Oh Jae-il (38) is all smiles.
KT won the first game of the midweek series against the Lotte Giants 6-4 at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on Monday, led by Oh Jae-il’s two hits and two RBIs and Oh Yoon-seok’s game-winning triple.
For Oh, it was his best day since leaving the Samsung Lions for KT. Oh switched jerseys with Park Byung-ho of the Samsung Lions on May 28th.
It was a trade that was bound to be a hot topic because of the similarities between the two players, who are the same age, first baseman and designated hitter, and the difference between right-handed and left-handed hitting. While Park Byung-ho is one of the best hitters in the KBO, Oh Jae-il is also a top-tier hitter in his prime, having hit over 20 home runs six times. Both players had strong performances right out of free agency, but both players had similar struggles towards the end of their careers.
For KT, Moon Sang-cheol had developed into the team’s center fielder by the time of the trade, and with an all-right-handed infield, Park Byung-ho had expressed his desire to leave the team, so bringing in left-handed first baseman Oh Jae-il was a good move. Both teams needed a change of scenery in hopes of a resurgence.
The problem was after the trade. Oh hit two home runs, but he was batting just 1-for-2 with five RBIs in 41 at-bats before the trade. Park Byung-ho, on the other hand, had been on a tear after the trade, hitting five home runs and driving in 12 RBIs.
Oh Jae-il also had an impressive performance on this day. He showed that his batting form had returned with a series of sharp hits to the outfield. He drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly to center field in his first at-bat, then followed that up with a fence-scraping double to drive in Kang Baek-ho in the fourth. He added an RBI single in the seventh inning to finish 2-for-2 on the day.
“We were on a losing streak, and Lotte had been playing well lately, so the players said, ‘Let’s break the losing streak,’ and it turned out 스포츠토토 well,” Oh smiled after the game.
“My first at-bat (sacrifice fly) didn’t go for a home run, so I was a little prideful. I got a hit (off the fence) in my next at-bat, which was a good thing, but I thought it was going to be a home run… I was like, ‘What’s wrong with me today? ‘ But we won, so I forgot about that. Actually, the sacrifice fly felt better than the double.”
Oh Jae-il said, “It’s a big pitch, but it goes over well. It didn’t go over today, but it definitely felt better. I think I’ve adjusted to the KT team now,” he said.
He is now living alone in Suwon. There was a hectic period when he had to look for a house. “I actually thought a lot about it,” Oh says. When you move overnight, you tend to think a lot, and suddenly you have to live in a different place,” he said, adding, “I think I can focus on my game comfortably now.”
“Since I was traded, I haven’t watched TV or looked at my phone. I only know how many home runs Byung-ho has hit because other people tell me, and I don’t know the results of every day’s games, and I don’t know the overall standings. He’s a friend, but I feel bad when he’s doing well, so when I start hitting well, I’ll see him again.”
It took a lot of help from KT manager Lee Kang-chul to get him back on his feet. “I’ve never had such a warm coach in baseball. He says so many good things to 안전한 파워볼사이트 me every day. He talks to me a lot,” he said, getting a little teary-eyed. His friendship with coaches Han Yoo-joon and Park Kyung-soo also helped him adapt to the team.
It was also his first meeting with his old mentor, Lotte coach Kim Tae-hyung, since joining KT. “Actually, I should have greeted him today, but I was too scared to go,” Oh laughed, before adding, “Coach Kim Tae-hyung is the kind of coach who gives both a stick and a carrot. He scolds me once and gives me warm words,” he added.
He also expressed his gratitude to CEO Kim Young-seop for visiting the site. “Today, the owner provided the players with Korean beef before the game and came to the ballpark to cheer them on. Thanks to him, the players were able to gain strength and break the losing streak. I want to say thank you,” he emphasized.
What about the revenge game against Samsung?
“If Kang Min-ho doesn’t talk too much when I’m batting, I’ll be able to do well. I’m looking forward to meeting Won Tae-in.”