to the pro baseball league after finishing the two-year military service. In the Nexen Heroes, which bought the right of the Hyundai Unicorns in , Son made a transition to the closing job and posted a record of 2-3 with 26 saves and a 2.56 ERA. He led the KBO league in saves and became the first Hero to win a title in any individual categories. Son had another strong season as a KBO top closer in when he had a career-low ERA of 1.89, saved 17 games, and won 4. Son continued to dominate in 2012 and 2013, when he recorded 33 and 46 saves, respectively. Despite sub-par seasons in 2014 and 2015, Son attained Free Agent status after the 2015 season, and signed a four-year, KRW 6 billion contract with the Lotte Giants. While he failed to live up to the expectations in 2016, with a 4.26 ERA and only 20 saves, he rebounded in 2017 to re-establish himself as the league's best closer. He led the Giants to the team's first playoff appearance in 5 years, finishing the season with 37 saves and a 2.18 ERA. Son decided to retire after the 2019 season due to a conflict with Giants about salary negotiations. Son finished his career second on all the all-time saves list in the KBO with 271. Notable international careers See also List of KBO career saves leaders External links Profile and stats from KBO (official website) Kiwoom Heroes players Hyundai Unicorns players Lotte Giants players South Korean baseball players 1982 births Living people 2013 World Baseball Classic players Yeungnam University alumni Sportspeople from Daegu South Korean Buddhists