When Oh Ji-hwan, 33, was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Korean Series after leading the LG Twins to their first pennant in 29 years, his wife, Kim Young-eun, watched from a distance with her family.

"During the Korean Series, I couldn't help but get teary-eyed as I thought of my husband's baseball career, which he has worked so hard for," Kim said.

The LG Twins won the championship with a 6-2 victory in Game 5 of the Korean Series of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Postseason between the LG Twins and KT Wiz at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul on Wednesday afternoon. LG managers Lim Chan-kyu (from left), Kim Hyun-soo, Oh Ji-hwan, and Yeom Kyung-yup pose for a photo with the championship trophy.

LG swept the KT Wiz 6-2 in Game 5 of the best-of-seven Korean Series at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on Nov. 13, winning the series 4-1. It was the first championship in 29 years since 1994.

Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop said, "The players' and fans' desire and urgency to win is the biggest strength," and captain Oh Ji-hwan, who joined LG in 2009 as the first overall pick and played in the Korean Series for the first time in his 15th season, was no less thirsty.

LG Twins captain Oh Ji-hwan poses for a photo with his family after the Korean Series championship ceremony on Wednesday.

His wife knows all too well how desperate he is to win. She even felt sorry for him when he cried every day because he couldn't win.

"He cried every day," Kim said. He would get upset when he saw his older brothers, such as Park Kyung-soo, win championships with other teams." "He had a long (unrelated) period of 15 years, so I think he was very eager to win. Now that we've won the championship, I hope he'll cry a lot of tears of joy."

The LG Twins won the Korean Baseball Organization's 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Postseason with a 6-2 victory over the KT Wiz in Game 5 of the Korean Series at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul on Wednesday afternoon. LG captain Oh Ji-hwan poses for a photo after being named the Korean Series MVP at the award ceremony.

Before the jubilation of the victory, there was pain. Oh was sidelined after the opening day with a micro-injury to his side muscle, and his home runs dropped significantly in the aftermath. After hitting a career-high 25 home runs last year, Oh reached 20 home runs and 20 doubles, but this year he only hit eight. He blamed himself for not being able to contribute to the team.

"The more home runs you hit, the more you contribute to the team," Kim said, "but this year, I was beating myself up because I didn't hit enough." "I was determined to do my best even if my husband was injured (before the Korean Series), and I think it showed," she said.

In the Korean Series, Oh was more determined than ever. Despite committing three errors due to the cold weather, he batted .316 with three home runs, eight RBIs, six runs scored, and an OPS of 1.351.

Just as Oh had hoped, his home runs helped the team in fall ball. In the second game after losing the first game, he hit a solo shot in the sixth inning to set the stage for a come-from-behind victory, and in the third game, he hit a game-winning three-run homer in the ninth inning. In the fourth game, he hit a three-run arch in the seventh inning to become the first player in history to hit home runs in three consecutive games of a single-season Korean Series.

In addition to his individual performance, Oh also led by example as a captain and carefully managed his players, bringing the team together.

"My husband is an icon of caring. Sometimes it's hard for the family," Kim laughed, adding, "Every morning, he would call the first and second team players to see how they were doing. He was very attentive to how the players were feeling, and I think that's why the players followed him so well."

"I was worried that he wasn't taking care of himself, but he overcame it because he was so strong mentally, and I think it was because of that process that we were able to win the championship," she said. "I had less time to spend with my husband because I was worried about the team, but it was great to see him fulfill his role as captain."

"This is our starting point, and we will enjoy the LG dynasty in the future," Oh said at the championship ceremony. "My husband said that, so I hope the LG dynasty will continue for a year, two years, three years," Kim said. 슬롯