Entered KBO at the same age as Park Chan-ho… Choo Shin-soo’s 2021 results

Among Koreans, the most successful pitchers and hitters in the major leagues are Park Chan-ho (48) and Choo Shin-soo (39).

The two who went directly to the American professional baseball without going through the Korean professional baseball (KBO) achieved the’American Dream’ by setting the most victorious (124 victories in Park Chan-ho) and the most home runs (218) in the major league (MLB), respectively.

Like Chan-ho Park, Shin-soo Choo plays on the Korean stage just before the end of his career.

Unfortunately, Choo Shin-soo wears the Shinsegae E-Mart uniform at the same age as when Park Chan-ho entered the KBO League at the age of 39.

After graduating from Busan High School, Shin-soo Choo went to the United States under a contract with the Seattle Mariners in 2001, enduring a hard minor league life and succeeding in making his big league debut in 2005.

Since then, he has been in the major leagues until 2020, hitting 1,652 games, batting average of 0.275 (1,671 hits in 6,87 at-bats), 218 home runs, 782 RBIs, and 157 steals.

Although Choo Shin-soo’s heyday has passed, he is competitive enough to hit 24 homers and hit 0.371 on-base in 2019.

It also boasts a brilliant background that is difficult to compare with foreign batters who have signed a contract with the KBO league club.

Shin-soo Choo is expected to act as a face to announce the new start of Shinsegae E-Mart, which joins the KBO League by acquiring SK Wyverns.

It is the privilege of fans who enjoy the 2021 season KBO League to be able to meet Choo Shin-soo at the baseball field.

Park Chan-ho, who was the first Korean to enter the big league stage in 1994, made his final appearance in Korea.

Park Chan-ho, who played in the major leagues until 2010, played a season for the Japanese professional baseball Oryx Buffalos in 2011 and wore the Hanwha Eagles uniform in 2012.

Park Chan-ho played for Hanwha for only one year and was somewhat sluggish with an average ERA of 5.06 with 5-10 losses. However, on the day Park Chan-ho, who was the’icon of Korean baseball’, started starting, a cloud crowd gathered.

The KBO League exceeded 7 million spectators for the first time in 2012. Park Chan-ho’s return to the Korean stage was the catalyst for the success of professional baseball.

Cho Jin-ho was the first Korean player to enter the KBO league to experience the major leagues.

Cho Jin-ho entered the big league in 1998 under the Boston Red Sox. It was the second Korean big leaguer ever after Park Chan-ho.

Cho Jin-ho entered the KBO League stage by signing with SK in 2003 and also played in the Samsung Lions.

The KBO League’s personal career performance was 5.99 with an average ERA of 5 wins 9 losses and 1 hold in 34 matches.

Hee-seop Choi, Jae-eung Seo, Byung-Hyun Kim, Sun-woo Kim, and Jung-geun Bong, who are considered as the’first generation of Korean big leaguers’ along with Park Chan-ho and Cho Jin-ho, also finished their active careers in Korea.

All of them headed to the US without going through the KBO League.

Bong Joong-geun signed with the LG Twins in 2006, and has played in the KBO League since 2007.

Bong Joong-geun, who played an active part as LG’s left-hander starter and finisher, played 321 games in the KBO League from the end of the 2016 season until his retirement, with an average ERA of 3.41 with 55 wins and 46 losses and 109 saves.

Choi Hee-seop, the first Korean big league hitter, joined the KIA Tigers in 2007 and hit a batting average of 0.281, 100 homers and 393 RBIs in 634 games until 2015. He also enjoyed the thrill of winning the Korean Series at KIA in 2009.

Seo Jae-eung, who won 28 wins (40 losses) in the big leagues, signed with KIA in 2008 and played until 2015. Jae-eung Seo posted an average ERA of 4.30 with 42 wins, 48 ​​losses, 2 saves and 4 holds in 164 matches.

Kim Sun-woo, who has a history of winning a big win in the major leagues, joined the Doosan Bears in 2008 and retired from LG in 2014. His KBO league performance is an average of 4.37 ERA in 157 matches, 57 wins, 46 losses and 1 save.

Kim Byeong-hyun, who acquired two World Series championship rings in the United States, entered the KBO League in 2012 by signing Nexen Heroes (now Kiwoom).

Kim Byeong-hyun was nominated for Hyundai Unicorns when he was nominated for a special overseas group in 2007, and as the rights were transferred to Nexen, who acquired Hyundai, he wore a Heroes uniform. In 2015, it was traded to KIA based in Gwangju, his hometown.

Kim Byeong-hyun, who has built a brilliant career in the big leagues, was sluggish in the KBO league with an average ERA of 6.19 with 11 wins and 23 losses in 78 games.

Ryu, the second generation of’Korean Big League’, returned to Korea in 2013 and played 6 seasons for LG, raising an ERA of 46 wins and 37 losses in 136 games.

Unlike the previously mentioned players, the players who went through the KBO League to Japan and the United States returned to Korea and finished their active careers.

Lee Sang-hoon, Koo Dae-sung, and Lim Chang-yong, who came back to Korea after passing through Korea, Japan, and the United States, played an active part as top-notch finishers even after their return.

Although they did not advance to the US, Lee Seung-yeop, Kim Tae-gyun, and Lee Bum-ho also returned to the KBO League after playing in Japanese professional baseball and showed off their top-notch skills for a long time.

Lee Dae-ho (Lotte Giants) and Oh Seung-hwan (Samsung Lions), who returned after experiencing both Japanese professional baseball and major leagues, are still playing as the main players of the team.

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