Tampa Bay, Mann Choi, is holding a press conference at the Kensington Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul on the 5th. Newsis
“There is no switch hitter challenge this season.”
Choi Ji-man (30, Tampa Bay), the first Korean beast to play in the World Series, said at a press conference held at the Kensington Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul on the 5th, saying, “I want to play all games with good physical management.”
“Last year, the season was so short, and there were too few opportunities to play against left-handed pitchers, so I tried it once.” Delivered the goal.
Choi Ji-man has been faithfully preparing for the season for three months after going through self-isolation for two weeks at the same time he returned home in November last year. When indoor training was difficult due to the aftermath of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19), outdoor training was conducted in the cold. “I always missed training with Korean players, but I enjoyed training with LG Shin Min-jae and KT Kim Do-hyun,” he said. “Since I was in the US, it was difficult to get sincere advice. If I get a chance again, I think I will play in the KBO league first.”
Choi Ji-man signed with Seattle in 2009 when he was a senior at Dongsan High School, and after 6 years of minor league life, he entered the major league stage in 2016 wearing the LA Angels uniform. Afterwards, he was able to move back and forth between the major and minor leagues, and after being traded from Milwaukee to Tampa Bay in June 2018, he was able to become a big leaguer.
Choi Ji-man is now in the ranks of millionaires instead of tearful bread. I attended the annual salary adjustment hearing held in the U.S. early this morning, and the conclusion is expected to come out on the 6th. He requested an annual salary of 2.45 million dollars (about 2.75 billion won) this year, while the Tampa Bay club offered 1.85 million dollars (about 2,700 million won), which is undergoing a mediation of the annual salary adjustment hearing. The annual salary adjustment hearing is required to accept only one opinion, so if Choi Ji-man loses, he will receive 1.85 million dollars.
In the shortened season of last year, Choi Man-man made 42 appearances, batting average of 0.230, 3 home runs, and 16 RBIs, and in the postseason, he had an impressive season with an on-base ratio of 0.412 including 2 homers and 4 RBIs. “It was my first experience, so it was fun. When I first came to the US in 2010, I didn’t even think that I would be eligible to apply for an annual salary adjustment.” Said.
Choi Ji-man advised that Ha-sung Kim, who entered the big league this season after going through the KBO league, said, “You will receive a lot of help from the club and colleagues. If you approach your colleagues first, you will be able to adapt well.”
“It was effective to aim for a fast ball. When Cole thinks it’s time to throw a change ball, he said, “The change ball came, too,” and emphasized that “Kim Ha-seong will hit the fast ball well.”
It is expected that the tearing of the legs that made Man Choi Choi as a local national star is difficult to see this season. He said, “I couldn’t do Pilates training because of Corona 19 because it was difficult for indoor training. I think it will hurt if I tear my leg this year. My back has been bad because of various injuries. He said, “I will give you good help so that your colleagues don’t have to tear your legs.”
Choi Man-eun also showed anticipation for a confrontation with Toronto Ryu Hyun-jin, who belongs to the same district. Choi Ji-man said, “Toronto has reinforced its power well, but our young players are getting better and better. I have confidence that I can win not only Toronto, but also the New York Yankees.”
Park Kwan-kyu reporter [email protected]
News directly edited by the Hankook Ilbo is also available on Naver.
