Choo Shin-soo, probably the most profitable South Korean hitter in Main League Baseball (MLB) historical past, appeared in his ultimate regular-season recreation on dwelling soil Monday.
The 42-year-old outfielder and designated hitter for the SSG Landers stepped in as a pinch hitter for Ha Jae-hoon within the backside of the eighth inning towards the Kiwoom Heroes of their ultimate regular-season contest of the 2024 Korea Baseball Group (KBO) season.
After being launched, Choo was greeted by a thunderous ovation from a sellout crowed of 23,000 at Incheon SSG Landers Discipline in Incheon, simply west of Seoul. Choo took off his helmet and bowed to followers across the stadium, and did the identical towards the guests’ dugout on the third base facet.
In opposition to rookie reliever Kim Yeon-ju, Choo swung on a 1-1 fastball and grounded out to second base. As Choo returned to the dugout, he was greeted by his teammates as if he had simply homered, and his supervisor Lee Sung-yong introduced him with a bouquet of flowers.
“I by no means anticipated that sort of reception. Nobody gave me any heads-up. And once I rotated from first base and noticed my teammates lined outdoors the dugout, I used to be actually stunned,” Choo stated afterward. “I used to be so grateful. Despite the fact that I used to be born in Korea, I had spent a lot time abroad that quite a lot of issues listed below are new to me. And I’ve had a lot assist from my teammates right here. They gave me the gas to maintain going, and I actually admire that.”
Choo introduced in December final yr that he would dangle up his spikes after the 2024 season. He has been hobbled by shoulder pains all yr and had been restricted to solely 77 video games of the staff’s 143 video games earlier than Monday.
The Landers beat the Heroes 7-2 to arrange a tiebreaker recreation Tuesday towards the KT Wiz to find out who will advance to the wild card spherical of the postseason. Supervisor Lee stated earlier than Monday’s recreation that Choo is questionable for the postseason. His pinch-hit look Monday was largely ceremonious with the end result all however decided.
Choo stated his spouse, Ha Gained-mi, grew to become emotional when he instructed her earlier Monday that he may play within the recreation as a pinch hitter. Choo stated he was largely calm as a result of he did not have excessive expectations for himself.
“I hadn’t practiced for almost a month, and it could have been too grasping on my half to anticipate something with out actually attempting,” Choo stated. “So extra so than the results of my at-bat, I used to be simply blissful that I had an opportunity to greet these followers right here.”
Choo signed with the Landers in 2021 and have become the oldest participant in KBO historical past to tally at the very least 20 dwelling runs and 20 steals in a season. The next yr, Choo helped the Landers to the Korean Sequence title.
This yr, Choo set data because the oldest place participant within the South Korean league to look in a recreation, get successful, hit a house run and steal a base.
Choo supplied to take a league-minimum wage of 30 million gained ($23,000) this yr and to donate all of that to charities.
For his KBO profession, Choo had 54 dwelling runs, 205 RBIs and 51 steals in 439 video games. Lengthy recognized for his discerning eye on the plate, Choo completed with a profession .388 on-base proportion within the KBO.
Choo’s KBO profession was preceded by 16 seasons in MLB, spent with the Seattle Mariners, the Cleveland Indians (presently Guardians), the Cincinnati Reds and the Texas Rangers.
Choo signed with the Mariners in 2000 as a pitcher out of highschool however quickly transformed to an outfielder.
Choo owns nearly all MLB hitting data for a South Korean participant, together with video games performed, dwelling runs, RBIs and steals, with nobody else from the nation having matched his productiveness and longevity.
Choo belted 218 dwelling runs — which had been an MLB file by an Asian-born hitter till the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Japanese celebrity Shohei Ohtani handed him earlier this month — and knocked in 782 runs in 1,652 video games. He swiped 157 luggage, and loved three seasons of at the very least 20 homers and 20 steals.
In 2013 with the Reds, Choo had 21 homers, 20 steals, 112 walks and 107 runs, turning into the twelfth participant in MLB historical past with these numbers.
As a Ranger two years later, Choo grew to become the primary South Korean participant to hit for the cycle within the majors. And in 2018, Choo set a Rangers franchise file by reaching base in 52 consecutive video games, and earned his first and solely All-Star choice.
Choo performed his ultimate MLB season throughout the peak of the pandemic, with the 162-game season shortened to 60 video games. Groups performed in entrance of empty stadiums, save for cardboard cutouts of followers.
All through this yr, as his ultimate recreation approached, Choo typically lamented by no means having an opportunity to correctly bid farewell to Rangers followers in 2020 and talked about how he wished an opportunity to see followers in his ultimate KBO recreation.
He received his want Monday night time.
“Clearly, the ultimate recreation right here felt a lot completely different than the ultimate one in Texas. I actually missed this sort of environment,” Choo stated. “It isn’t nearly getting a standing ovation. I simply wished to say thanks to followers for his or her help over time. I need to thank the Landers for giving me this chance.”
Choo stated he would not have entered the sport if the rating had been tight on this must-win recreation for the Landers and thanked Choi Jeong for hitting two homers, together with a grand slam, to offer his staff a 7-1 lead via seven innings.
“Choi Jeong actually wished me to play on this recreation, however I instructed him that I would not do it until we have been up massive in late innings,” Choo stated. “He created that chance for me, and I’m actually grateful for that.”
The Landers at the moment are a win away from reaching the postseason, however Choo stated he did not suppose he’d be wholesome sufficient to play in October.
“It seems like it will be a bit troublesome for me to play within the postseason. I feel the fellows who’ve helped the staff attain this level should preserve enjoying. They deserve that,” Choo stated. “If a chance presents itself, I’ll gladly be the cheerleader within the dugout for this staff. I should speak to the staff about this.”
As for his future after baseball, Choo stated: “I simply need to take a while off. Bodily and mentally, I’m exhausted.”
Choo was recognized for his generosity whereas in MLB — as soon as giving $1,000 to every of 191 minor league gamers within the Rangers system in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic hit — and introduced the identical spirit to the KBO. He has donated over 3 billion gained throughout his time within the South Korean league.
Choo was additionally an outspoken critic towards outdated ballpark amenities within the KBO, and prompted modifications at each his dwelling park and different stadiums within the league.
Choo turned down the Landers’ supply of a retirement ceremony this yr, saying he did not need to be a distraction whereas the staff was preventing for its postseason life down the stretch. The Landers will maintain a ceremony to acknowledge Choo’s profession someday subsequent yr.
“That is my fourth season in Korea, and I really feel prefer it’s been 10 years,” Choo stated with a smile. “After I signed out of highschool, I’d possibly spend a few weeks a yr right here. And now that I’ve lived right here, I noticed that is so a lot better than what I had learn and heard within the media.” (Yonhap)