Controversial Comments by Commentator Oh Jae-won Sparks Debate
Social Media War of Nerves
Professional baseball commentator Oh Jae-won, known for his commitment to presenting accurate facts rather than engaging in open criticism, finds himself at the center of controversy once again. This time, his remarks regarding a beanball incident involving Park Chan-ho have drawn significant attention.
During a recent game between Samsung Lions and SSG Landers in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, Yang Chang-seop, the Lions’ 4th pitcher, brushed against SSG Choi Jeong-ui’s uniform. Oh Jae-won, who was providing commentary for the game, took a non-neutral stance and expressed his personal opinion. He stated, “This was a clear beanball, but it’s fortunate that the batter was merely brushed.” He further added, “I despise situations like these the most.”
Yang Chang-seop, demonstrating sportsmanship, removed his cap, bowed his head, and apologized to Choi Jeong, the SSG hitter who was hit by the ball. However, Oh Jae-won belittled the gesture, saying, “There’s no need to apologize for this. It was already bizarre to begin with, and now it’s out in the open.”
This exchange spilled over onto social media, with both Yang Chang-seop and Oh Jae-won engaging in a war of words. Yang Chang-seop quoted the words of the Talmud on his Instagram, stating, “Fish are always caught with their mouths. Humans are also bound by their words.” Oh Jae-won retaliated on Instagram, asserting, “Fools speak based on hearsay, while wise individuals speak based on what they observe.”
Debate Surrounding Oh Jae-won’s Commentary
Netizens expressed mixed opinions regarding Oh Jae-won’s commentary. Some argued that it was inappropriate for a commentator to assume a beanball and abandon neutrality, while others believed that his assessment was correct.
Notably, coaches from both SSG and Samsung weighed in on the matter ahead of the game on the 25th. Samsung coach Park Jin-man emphasized that teams strive to play normal baseball, regardless of the score difference. Kim Won-hyeong, the Samsung coach, explained that the pitch was thrown because they recognized Choi Jeong’s vulnerability to inside balls.
Continued Controversy Surrounding Oh Jae-won
In a previous interview with ‘Den Magazine’ released on May 10, Oh Jae-won did not shy away from expressing his disdain for Park Chan-ho, referring to him as the “Korean Express.” Following the subsequent backlash, Oh Jae-won issued an apology, vowing to accept criticism and admonishment for his actions. He also pledged to exercise greater caution before speaking.
About the Author:
Ara Yang is an editor at Huffpost Korea. Contact her at ara.yang@huffpost.kr.
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Den Magazine’s YouTube on May 10th Den Magazine’s interview with commentator Oh Jae-won (left), photo posted by Yang Chang-seop on Instagram Story (right) ©Den Magazine/Yang Chang-seop’s Instagram account y___cs_1
Commentator Oh Jae-enill of Doosan Professional Baseball, who said he would present the situation with accurate facts rather than open criticism towards the player, once again caused controversy with his words. Park Chan-ho, who caused controversy with his shooter comments, is on the cutting board again this time by making a beanball comment that the pitcher threw the ball to the batter intentionally.
In an away game against SSG Landers in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 24th, Samsung Lions 4th pitcher Yang Chang-seop grazed SSG Choi Jeong-ui’s uniform.
Commentator Oh Jae-won, who was in charge of the commentary, did not remain neutral and began to express his personal opinion. Oh Jae-won said, “This was an open shot, but it’s lucky that he rubbed his clothes,” and said, “I hate this situation the most.”
Yang Chang-seop took off his cap, bowed his head, and apologized to Choi Jeong, the SSG hitter who reached first base with a ball that hit him. In response, Oh Jae-won said, “There’s no need to apologize for this. It was weird before, so I tried to go over favorably, but I hit it open.”
Samsung Yang Chang-seop. © News1
Yang Chang-seop and Oh Jae- also got involved in a war of nerves on social media. Yang Chang-seop quoted the words of the Talmud on Instagram and said, “Fish are always caught with the mouth. Humans are also caught with the mouth.” In response, commentator Oh Jae-won also responded on Instagram, saying, “Fools talk about what they hear, and wise people talk about what they see.”
Regarding Oh Jae-won’s commentary, netizens had different opinions, such as saying that it was inappropriate for the commentator to be convinced that she was a beanball without maintaining neutrality, and that beanball was correct.
Before the match between Samsung and SSG on the 25th, SSG and Samsung coaches also refuted commentator Jae-Won Oh’s comments on Beanball. Before discussing whether beanball is correct or not, Samsung coach Park Jin-man said that unlike before, each team tries to play normal baseball even if there is a score difference. Samsung coach Kim Won-hyeong explained that the pitch was made because he understood that hitter Choi Jeong was a little weak on inside balls.
Interview video scene with commentator Oh Jae-won, YouTube Den Magazine on May 10th.
Previously, in an interview with ‘Den Magazine’, which was released on the YouTube channel on May 10, Oh Jae-won said, “I hate the Korean Express (Park Chan-ho) so much.” “Sniped. When the controversy arose, Commissioner Oh apologized and promised, “I will not avoid criticism and reprimand for this incident,” and “I will once again engrave in my bones that I must be more careful before I speak.”
Ara Yang Editor / ara.yang@huffpost.kr
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