Choo Shin-soo ends his 24-year career as a player… “Even if I am born again, I will play baseball”

“I will play baseball in my next life.”

These are the words left by ‘Choo Choo Train’ Choo Shin-soo (42) as he left the field.

Choo Shin-soo held a retirement press conference at the Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Hotel in Songdo, Incheon on the 7th. After the season ended, he appeared at the press conference wearing a brace on his shoulder, which had undergone surgery. He stood on stage with a ‘Number 17’ sculpture made from the uniforms of the teams he played for until his retirement and the national team uniforms.

Choo Shin-soo graduated from Busan High School in 2001 and signed a contract with the Major League Baseball Seattle Mariners. Choo Shin-soo, who debuted in the big league in 2005, returned to Korea in 2021 and joined SSG Landers, ending his 24-year professional career with the end of this season.

He was the first Korean fielder to participate in the Major League All-Star Game. He held the record for the most home runs by an Asian player in the big leagues until Shohei Ohtani broke it. Shin-Soo Choo also set records of 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases three times. As of 2020, he played in 1,652 games and recorded a batting average of 0.275 (1,671 hits in 6,087 at-bats), 218 home runs, 782 RBI, and 157 stolen bases.

In the KBO League, he played four seasons and recorded a batting average of 0.263, 54 home runs, 205 RBIs, and 51 stolen bases. In 2021, he became the oldest player to hit 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, and in the 2022 season, he wore the SSG uniform and lifted the championship trophy.

Choo Shin-soo said, “Players sweat to win. “I really wanted to win in the U.S. (I couldn’t achieve it), but I did it in Korea,” he said, choosing 2022 as the best moment as a baseball player. He also said, “’I was sincere about baseball. “I would be happy if I was evaluated as having risked my life for baseball.”

He served as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning against Kiwoom Heroes in the last game of the regular season on September 30 and hit a ground ball to second base. It was his last at-bat in front of his home fans. Choo Shin-soo said, “I was filled with emotions. “It wasn’t a good result, but I wanted to say hello to the fans.”

He continued, “I am exhausted both physically and mentally. “I’m going to take a little break,” he said. “It’s been 5 to 6 years since I saw the kids (who play baseball in the U.S.) play. Before I knew it, my eldest child was a college student, and my second child was a high school student. “I want to play the role of a father for a year,” he said.

Incheon = Reporter Kim Hyo-kyung kaypubb@joongang.co.kr