SSG Landers pitcher Noh Kyung-eun throws a ball in the game against NC Dinos held in Incheon on July 24.SSG LANDERS
Forty-two-year-old veteran pitcher Noh Kyung-eun of the SSG Landers recently found himself facing a batter born four years after he made his professional debut — a matchup that underscored both his remarkable longevity and the changing generations in Korean baseball.
During the seventh inning of SSG's game against the NC Dinos on Friday at SSG Landers Field in Incheon, Noh entered with two outs and the bases loaded to face rookie outfielder Ko Jun-hwi, a 19-year-old who graduated from Jeonju High School earlier this year.
The matchup featured an age gap of 8,554 days between the two players. Noh, born in 1984, debuted in 2003, four years before Ko was even born. The SSG right-hander is currently the oldest active pitcher in the KBO, and only Kia Tigers outfielder Choi Hyoung-woo, born in 1983, is older among all active players.
"I don't have time to think about how old the opposing batter is when I'm on the mound," Noh said after the game. "I didn't think about the age difference when I faced Jun-hwi. It wasn't until people told me afterward that it had been a meaningful matchup that it really sank in."
“I am grateful to still be competing against players young enough to be my son at an age when many athletes begin thinking about retirement."
The face-off was the eighth-largest age gap between a veteran pitcher and a rookie batter in KBO history, excluding repeated matchups.
The current record is the 8,999-day gap between Hanwha Eagles pitcher Song Jin-woo and Doosan Bears outfielder Jung Soo-bin in 2009. Other veteran pitchers, including Lim Chang-yong, Oh Seung-hwan and Go Hyo-jun, have also faced rookies more than 8,600 days younger.
Given that Noh remains under contract through next season and continues to pitch effectively, he could eventually move to the top of that list.
Noh attributes his longevity to years of disciplined preparation and self-management.
NC Dinos rookie outfielder Ko Jun-hwi, born in 2007NC DINOS
Even as a student at Sungnam Middle School, he studied training methods on his own and designed personalized conditioning programs after practices. He also became known for using a massage bed to improve flexibility at a time when such equipment was uncommon in Korea.
Until only a few years ago, he followed a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, eating eggs while avoiding meat and seafood to reduce body fat.
His commitment has helped him continue throwing fastballs reaching 150 kilometers per hour (93 miles per hour) while relying on a sharp forkball.
"I thought about myself at 19 after facing Jun-hwi," Noh said. "I didn't get many opportunities to play back then, but I always tried to stay ready. I'm proud that the years of hard work have not gone to waste."
After struggling with knee pain during the first half of the season, Noh has bounced back by throwing scoreless outings in each of his five appearances after the All-Star break.
His list of achievements has continued to grow as well. Last year, he became the oldest player ever to win the KBO holds title after leading the league for the second consecutive season. He also set the record for the oldest pitcher to appear in a postseason game.
Noh said he hopes to remain on the mound for at least two more seasons to surpass Song's KBO record for the oldest pitching appearance at 43 years, seven months and seven days.
"I want to keep competing against players more than 9,000 days younger than me," he said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
