This is what Choo Shin-soo (42) of the SSG Landers said at a press conference held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on Thursday. He wanted to see his wife play in the U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) uniform and decided to spend the last year of her career in Korea.
Choo, who moved to the U.S. after graduating from Busan High School, has built the best career in Korean batter history. He played in 1,652 MLB games and recorded a batting average of 0.275 with 218 homers, 782 RBIs and 157 steals. He recorded the most home runs in the MLB, the most RBIs and the first cycling hit by an Asian player.
When Choo entered the KBO League after finishing his 20-year career in the U.S., he did not know if he would play in Korea for four years. “I was planning to return to the U.S. after playing only one season in 2021. I felt a lot during the past year, so I wore an SSG uniform in 2022 and won the title. There were four to five MLB teams’ proposals for the past two years, but the team came out on top, and the club still needed me, so I played until 2023,” he said.
After the end of the 2023 season, Choo considered extending his career and retirement. “(Kim) Kangmin unexpectedly moved to the Hanwha Eagles. I also thought that two pillars should not escape at once,” he said. SSG was burdened with salary cap (total annual salary cap), and after receiving 7.1 billion won (approx. He decided to donate even this. “I don’t think it’s a sacrifice. It’s for our team,” Choo stressed.
After Choo moved to Korea in 2021, his family split up. “If my wife wants to extend her career even after receiving an annual salary of 30 million won, she would ask me, ‘Why don’t you go to the U.S. and play?’ I was both thankful and sad,” he said. “My wife understood (my wife) knowing that I am a person who always takes action when I make up my mind.”
In the process, manager Kim Won-hyung was dismissed, and rumors spread that Chushin-soo would become SSG manager. “It’s ridiculous. I’m not a leader at all,” he said. “My future career path will take shape by the end of this season.” 안전놀이터 추천
The SSG was in disarray this winter due to early elimination of players from the postseason and replacement of managers and general managers. Notably, the aftermath was quite big when Kim Kang-min, a 23-year-old franchise star, moved to Hanwha through the second draft. Choo, who was the same age in 1982, was hurt more than anyone else. “It hurts my heart. I wish my friend good luck so that he won’t regret taking Kang out (of Hanwha).” Still, he said, “SSG must not remain stagnant. We must move forward.”
At the suggestion of new coach Lee Sung-yong, Choo will become the captain of this season’s team. “I had a meal with him for four hours last week. I had goosebumps because of baseball and the team culture (the coach’s direction).”
Choo plans to travel to Texas on Monday for his personal training. “I feel comfortable and relaxed this season, as I announced my retirement,” he said. “I think it will be so beautiful to finish like I won in 2022. I don’t care about my personal performance at all. Of course, the goal is to win.”
