With 500 professional saves in three different leagues, Samsung Lions reliever Oh Seung-hwan knows a few things about closing out games. When Oh, 41, speaks about how to handle late-inning, high-leverage situations, young pitchers should listen. And after South Korean All-Star closer Go Woo-suk signed with the San Diego Padres in January, Oh reached out to the 25-year-old to help him prepare for what lies ahead. Oh, who recorded 42 saves for three major league clubs from 2016 to 2019, preached patience, above all else. "I told him not to push himself too hard during spring training and not to try too hard to prove himself," Oh told reporters Thursday at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, after returning from training camp in Japan. "I said the team already knows who he is and the coaches have all the data." Oh, who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies, said he was speaking from experience. "I tried too hard too early, but I didn't have anyone telling me wh at to do or what not to do," Oh recalled. "That's why I sent Woo-suk a text message first. I believe that if he stays healthy, I think he will even exceed San Diego's expectations." Go signed a two-year, US$4.5 million deal, after leading all pitchers in the Korea Baseball Organization with 139 saves from 2019 to 2023 for the LG Twins. Go has said he grew up idolizing Oh and even drew favorable comparisons with the veteran pitcher because of similarities in their build, deliveries and pitching repertoires. He is trying to earn the closer's job for the Padres, following the departure of All-Star closer Josh Hader in free agency. Before getting Go, the Padres acquired Japanese closer Yuki Matsui on a five-year, $28 million deal. Those two, plus incumbent reliever Robert Suarez, are expected to battle for the closer spot, though Suarez, who signed a five-year, $46 million deal in November 2022, is believed to have the inside track. Oh said Go shouldn't feel intimidated by the bigger contracts of his internal rivals. "He doesn't have to worry about losing out to his competition," Oh said. "I don't think he will get opportunities to close right away, but I am pretty sure he will have his shot at some point. And I think he's capable of capitalizing on that when he gets it. So he just has to stay patient and do his thing." Source: Yonhap News Agency