“Can you take me out? It’s too much.”
Choo Shin-soo (42) of the SSG Landers delivered his opinion on “Chugang Dae-yeop” at a retirement press conference held at Kyungwonjae Ambassador Incheon in Songdo, Incheon on Sunday. Chugang Dae-yeop is the word that was coined in the process of baseball fans picking the best hitter in the history of Korean baseball. Choo Shin-soo, Kang Jung-ho, Lee Dae-ho and Lee Seung-yeop were lined up in order.
Fans concluded that Choo, who had built his career in the Major League with the highest level of baseball, was the best among Korean hitters. However, Choo lowered himself, saying that Lee Seung-yeop and Lee Dae-ho were better hitters. Kang also said that he was not the second to play in the Major League due to his short time playing in the Major League.
Choo Shin-soo said, “I feel uncomfortable. Lee Seung-yeop and Lee Dae-ho made an outstanding career. They only played in different leagues but made good enough results. If they had played in the Major League, they would have performed well. I just didn’t have the opportunity. I’m not a great hitter just because I played in the U.S. On the contrary, I didn’t show anything in Korea. It doesn’t make sense that I was mentioned first in the draft. Lee Seung-yeop and Lee Dae-ho were both the best hitters. “Lee Seung-yeop and Lee Dae-ho should be mentioned before me in the draft.”
In terms of career, all of the players on the list have achieved remarkable achievements. Choo made his Major League debut with the Seattle Mariners in 2005, and spent 16 years in the U.S. playing for the Cleveland Indians, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Texas Rangers. He played 1,652 games and recorded 218 homers, 782 RBIs, 961 runs and a batting average of 0.275 on-base plus 0.377 OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.824. He was the first Asian to hit 20 homers and 20 steals, and became the first Asian to hit a cycling hit. He also became the longest Asian to reach base in 52 consecutive games for the Texas Rangers.
Choo Shin-soo, who returned to Korea in the 2021 season, posted a batting average of 0.263 on-base percentage of 0.388 and a slugging percentage of 0.424 OPS of 0.812 in 439 games during the four seasons of the KBO League. In addition, Choo Shin-soo was a member of SSG and enjoyed the first honor in the KBO by winning the title without giving up the first place since the opening game of the 2022 regular season.
Lee played for the Samsung Lions for 15 seasons. In 1906 he played 467 home runs, 1498 RBIs, 1355 runs and 57 steals, and recorded a batting average of 0.389 on-base hit of 0.372 OPS of 0.961. He was a five-time home run champion, and was awarded the regular season MVP award of five times and the Golden Glove award of 10 times. From 2004 to 2011, he played for the Chiba Lotte Marlins, the Yomiuri Giants, and the Orix Buffalos of Japan. He played in 797 games for eight seasons, posting 159 homers, 439 RBIs and a batting average of 0.257. He also has the nickname of “people’s batters” as he plays as the No. 4 hitter for the Korean national team. 토토사이트
Lee played for the Lotte Giants for 17 seasons and posted a batting average of .309 with 374 homers, 1425 RBIs and 972 runs and a batting average of .309 with an on-base hit of .515 OPS of .900. He garnered seven hits excluding stolen bases in the 2010 season. From 2012 to 2015, he built his career with the Orix Buffaloes and Softbank Hawks of Japanese pro baseball. He posted a batting average of 0.293 with 98 homers and 348 RBIs. In the 2016 season, he played for the Seattle Mariners with 14 homers and 49 RBIs.
While Lee Seung-yeop and Lee Dae-ho encouraged them, Choo gave a rather harsh evaluation to Kang. “I really like Kang. He was my favorite junior. Kang was the best hitter in Korea. However, his time in the U.S. was too short. It is too short to be mentioned as the second time in the draft.”
Kang spent nine seasons with the Hyundai Unicorns and Heroes. In 902 games, he recorded 139 home runs, 545 RBIs, 470 runs and 51 steals with a batting average of 0.298 on-base percentage of 0.504 OPS of 0.887. Since joining the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015, Kang has posted a batting average of 0.254 on-base percentage of 0.254 with 46 home runs, 144 RBIs, 120 runs and eight steals in 297 games. Although Kang had a successful career, he was expelled by the Pittsburgh Pirates due to a stir caused by drunk driving.
Choo Shin-soo, who has made a brilliant career to the point where he was mentioned in the controversy over the fall of the spine, said looking back on his baseball career, “I decided to retire and looked back on my thoughts since I was nine years old when I started playing baseball. I could not be the player I wanted, but I think I spent 24 hours really well for the baseball that I like and love. I have no regrets. I want to say to myself, “Good job. I lived a good life.”
“A lot of people ask me if I feel bittersweet. But I think I will have a really comfortable winter. Players tend to get stressed about their performance in the next season every winter. I don’t have any more. These days, my eyelids are really light when I wake up in the morning. I don’t have to make plans for tomorrow. I don’t have to worry about gaining weight when I eat. I feel so comfortable and stress-free,” he said, adding that he is satisfied with his life after retirement.
He said he has no intention of returning to the stadium immediately. It is also true that he is interested in Choo’s future. However, he plans to spend time with his family while taking a rest. “Coach Choo cannot do it right away. He will not do it even if he is offered. I will do it when I have passion. I want to be with my family now. I want to play a role as a father to my children. Until now, they were children without a father. I feel sorry. My two sons play baseball. I want to see how much they have improved. I will focus on my role as a father.”
