Oh Ji-hwan of the LG Twins won the 2023 shortstop gold gloves. Oh was named the winner of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Golden Glove Awards at COEX Auditorium in Samseong-dong, Seoul, at 5 p.m. on Saturday. In fact, he showed the smallest gap between the positions that had been expected to be the fiercest. Oh garnered support of 52.9 percent with 154 votes out of a total of 291 votes. Park Chan-ho of the second-ranked KIA Tigers threatened Oh with 41.2 percent of votes with 130 votes.
It was the best season for Oh Ji-hwan as an individual. He won the combined title of the regular season-Korean Series for the first time in 29 years, and was named the MVP of the Korean Series. He ended the season with a golden glove.
Oh didn’t forget that his competition with Park was fierce. “I wish I could win such a personal award to remember this year as the best year for me. That’s why I was greedy,” Oh said. “I was also thankful to Chan-ho who competed with me,” Oh said. “It’s good that young players are leading the team and shining the shortstop position.” 사설 토토사이트
Park’s sincerity made the competition more beautiful. Park Chan-ho visited the venue amid uncertainty about his acceptance. It is not uncommon. Ahead of the award ceremony, Park said, “I came to congratulate Oh Ji-hwan (who was highly likely to win the award). I came belatedly for the sake of ranking second,” he said with a smile.
After the award ceremony, Oh Ji-hwan, the winner, thanked Park Chan-ho, saying, “He’s such a cool guy. Even though he is young, I respect him that I have to learn from him.” “I will ask (Park) Chan-ho a lot at the baseball stadium. He hit .300. I will also ask many questions about baseball.”
Park is not the only competitor. NC’s Kim Joo-won displayed his potential in international competitions through the Hangzhou Asian Games and APBC. He defended the NC infield through bold and aggressive defense in the postseason as well. SSG Park Sung-han and Samsung’s Lee Jae-hyun, and Kiwoom’s Kim Hye-sung, who hope to return to shortstop, can also become juniors who can overlook Oh Ji-hwan next year.
Oh Ji-hwan said, “I’m grateful that you showed a lot of interest, not a small difference in votes. That’s how many outstanding players are in the shortstop position. I think it’s a bigger stimulus to me to think that I’m competing with those players.”
He also said, “I’ve been keeping my position as a shortstop, but I have to show that I’m competitive among the juniors who are coming up. I have no choice but to prove with my skills that I’m still a competitive player because I’ve prepared well for the team’s performance while aiming for another award.”