"I want to take Choo Shin-soo's eyes away." 300 million top hitters' desire to get on base, now they learn from 'Front CHO'
"I want to take Choo Shin-soo's eyes away." 300 million top hitters' desire to get on base, now they learn from 'Front CHO'
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Jihoon Choi (28), a slugger and cleanup hitter at SSG Landers, recalled Choo Shin-soo (43), who is preparing for his second life as a front desk clerk after retirement. His instinct to get on base was a task for Jihoon Choi and something he really wanted to learn.먹튀검증
Choo has ended his long career with the end of the 2024 season. The Jihoon Choi, who now feels heavier on his shoulders, recalled Choo. Although he is the front desk manager, he expressed satisfaction that he can spend longer time together.
"I saw you when you came to pick up your luggage to go to the U.S.," Jihoon Choi told Star News recently. "I'm glad you stayed with me. I'm glad you guys are here. I'm glad we can do this together."
Jihoon Choi's shoulders have become heavier. Jihoon Choi, who joined the team in 2020, has made strides as a starting player from the first season and has made progress every year. In 2022, he played in all games with a batting average of 0.304 with 10 homers, 61 RBIs and 93 runs, a on-base percentage of 0.362, a slugging percentage of 0.427 and an on-base plus slugging percentage of 0.789, contributing to his team's victory.
In 2023, he also played for the national team and won a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, achieving special military service exceptions, but he played in 125 games due to injuries this season, batting average of 0.275 with 11 home runs, 49 RBIs and 89 points, on-base percentage of 0.345 and slugging percentage of 0.418 and OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 0.763. Despite the injury, he also stamped 50 million won from 250 million won last year, up 20 percent to 300 million won, but he could not hide his regret. That's why I have a greater desire to develop.
Jihoon Choi, who feels that he still lacks a lot, has been asking a lot of questions to experienced seniors since he was a rookie and has tried to learn good skills. "I think I'm still in the age to try something," Jihoon Choi said. "I still have a lot to learn and want to learn," he said. "So fortunately, the older brothers are still alive, so I'm happy to have a lot more to take."
Among them, Choo's ability to take away from him was his pioneering ability. Choi, who is in charge of the cleanup hitter role but has a career-high on-base percentage of 0.362, is a skill that he desperately needs more than anything else. His on-base percentage of the SSG team was 0.342, ranking ninth overall. Jihoon Choi's shoulders are inevitably heavier.
Choo immediately made his way to the U.S. after graduating from Busan High School, and has been active in the big leagues for 16 seasons since 2005. He played in 1,652 games with a batting average of 0.275 218 homers, 782 RBIs, 961 runs scored, 868 walks and 157 steals, an on-base percentage of 0.377, a slugging percentage of 0.447 and an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of 0.824.
His strength was his outstanding batting, ability to hit one foot, fast feet and strong shoulders, but the first thing that came to mind when talking about Choo was his instinct to get on base. He ranked fourth in the American League with 0.401 in Cleveland in 2010 and moved to Cincinnati in 2013 to rank second in the National League with an on-base percentage of 0.423. Dubbed the "On-base Machine," he also set a new record for Texas at the time by getting on base in 47 consecutive games in 2018.
After returning to Korea in 2021, Choo played in 439 games for four seasons with a batting average of 0.263 and 54 homers, showing below-expectations performance. He was not in good physical condition and it was difficult for him to display the same performance as he did in the Major League Baseball (MLB). Nevertheless, he showed off his unique instinct to get on the base. In the first season, he posted an amazing on-base percentage of 0.409 and his overall record of 0.388.
"I'm going to ask more questions. He has a lot of experience in the Major League and has a lot to learn," Jihoon Choi said with a bright smile. "I don't know how long he'll be here, but I'll continue to learn a lot until he leaves."
Of course, there may not be much time to breathe on the spot unlike the coaches. As Choo can now only focus on the role of the front desk, it is a better situation to generously pass on his know-how to his juniors. As he has to make efforts for his team's good performance from a different position than before, expectations are high that Choo will become more aggressive toward his juniors as well as Jihoon Choi.
Attention is growing on how fast Choo Shin-soo's on-base DNA can spread to SSG players whose on-base is vulnerable, including Jihoon Choi.