Choo Shin-soo said goodbye to the ground on the 30th…What will the last at-bat look like
Choo Shin-soo said goodbye to the ground on the 30th…What will the last at-bat look like
Blog Article
Choo Shin-soo (42, SSG Landers) started the game against the Houston Astros in the Major League Baseball (MLB) at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on September 28, 2020 (Korea time) and had a bunt hit rolling toward the third baseman in the bottom of the first inning.스포츠토토
Choo Shin-soo, who caught off guard Houston's defensive shift, which focused the fielder between 1-2 bases, and sprinted to first base, complained of left ankle pain after stepping on the base.
Soon after, he gave up first base to pinch runner Willie Calhoun and came into the dugout.
At that time, MLB played "without spectators" to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), but the Texas club invited Choo Shin-soo's wife, Ha Won-mi, and three children.
The family watched Choo Shin-soo say goodbye to Texas from the stands.
Choo Shin-soo, who had a strong will to extend his active career, received an offer from the MLB club to recruit him, but chose to go to SSG in the Korean professional baseball league in 2021.
In the end, Choo Shin-soo marked his last at-bat in the big league with a "surprise bunt of fighting spirit."
What will "Actual Choo Shin-soo's last at-bat" look like.
In his last year at Texas (2020), Choo Shin-soo had not played since Sept. 8 due to his right wrist, but started on Sept. 28, the last game of the team's regular season, and played one at-bat.
Even this year, when he announced his retirement, Choo Shin-soo has not been at bat since the match against the Hanwha Eagles on the 10th of this month due to shoulder pain.
However, SSG coach Lee Sung-yong asked Choo Shin-soo to play at least one at-bat against Incheon Kiwoom Heroes on the 30th, when the team's final regular season game will be held.
Choo Shin-soo, who has been cheering his juniors on the bench saying, "Playing without preparation does not help the team," is also cheering for the "last at-bat."
After graduating from Busan High School, Choo Shin-soo, who moved to the U.S. by signing with the Seattle Mariners in 2001, made his big league debut in 2005 after enduring a hard minor league life.
Since then, he has played in the Major League until 2020, with 1,652 games, a batting average of 0.275 (1,671 hits in 6,87 at-bats), 218 home runs, 782 RBIs, and 157 steals.
Business games, hits, home runs, RBIs and stolen bases are all "Korean big leaguers' record."
He also set MLB Asia's first records, including 20 home runs and 20 steals (2009) and the cycling hit (2015).
Choo Shin-soo's entry into the KBO League in 2021 was the most surprising news for Korean baseball.
He came to the KBO League after his prime, but his unique on-base ability remained.
As of the 29th, Choo Shin-soo has a career on-base percentage of 0.388 for four seasons in the KBO League.
KBO's overall performance is a batting average of 0.263, 54 home runs, 205 RBIs, and 51 steals.
He changed all the oldest KBO hitters' records.
Before Choo Shin-soo, most of the KBO League's oldest hitters were held by Felix Jose (former Lotte Giants).
Jose hit a home run against the SK Wyverns (now SSG) on May 10, 2007.
At that time, Jose was 42 years and eight days old. His record of 42 years and eight days has been recorded as the oldest hitter in the KBO league for more than 17 years.
Born on July 13, 1982, Choo started at the age of 42 years and 11 days in the game against the Suwon KT Wiz on July 24, and doubled in the top of the first inning. He also hit an RBI single in the seventh inning.
On this day, Choo Shin-soo broke the record of the oldest KBO League batter's business trip, hit, and RBI.
On August 3, he hit a solo shot in the fourth inning against the Daegu Samsung Lions, setting a new homerun record at the age of 42 years and 21 days. On the following day (against the Samsung Lions on August 4), he hit a home run again.
Choo Shin-soo broke the record of the oldest stolen base (41 years, 6 months and 25 days) held by Lee Ho-joon (current LG Twins coach) early in the match against Lotte in Incheon on March 23 and increased his record to 42 years and 27 days by stealing second base in a home game against the Doosan Bears in Incheon on August 9.
If Choo plays in the game against Kiwoom on Friday as expected, his record for the oldest player in the game will be 42 years, two months and 17 days. If he makes a hit and a home run, he will also break the record for the oldest player in the field.
Outside the ground, Choo Shin-soo also shone.
Even when he played in the Major League, Choo Shin-soo visited Korea in the offseason and paid a high price for Chungju Sacred Heart School, youth baseball, incurable disease patients, and firefighters' families.
In 2020, all 191 minor leaguers under the Texas Rangers who had difficulty making a living due to the lack of minor league games in the aftermath of COVID-19 provided $1,000 in livelihood funds.
Even after 2021 when he played in the KBO League, he actively did good work.