Choo Shin-soo Reflects on 33-Year Baseball Journey

Nov 02, 2024

Baseball player Choo Shin-soo expressed his feelings about retirement.

On KBS 2TV 'Living Men Season 2' (hereinafter 'Living Men'), which aired on the 2nd (Saturday), Choo Shin-soo's retirement journey, which drew attention with the news of a re-appearance of 'Living Men' for the first time in 10 months, was revealed.

After playing for the U.S. MLB baseball team, Choo Shin-soo returned to the Korean professional baseball team SSG Landers and retired after the 2024 season.

The panelists gathered at the studio to watch Choo's VCR first admired Choo's financial ability. Choo's U.S. home, known for his accumulated annual salary of W190 billion, is about 5,500 pyeong and has a basketball court, a museum, a movie theater, and even 14 restrooms.

In the VCR, Choo Shin-soo's wife, Ha Won-mi, appeared alone and introduced her American home. Wine sellers, luxury home bars, movie theaters to swimming pools. The Pittiness Center and the Indoor Museum were also surprised by the disclosure of enormous mansions.

On the other hand, Choo looked back on his 33-year baseball career. Choo Shin-soo, who met his mother and uncle Park Jung-tae, a baseball benefactor, said of how he started playing baseball, `At that time, I was so grateful to have a meal. It wasn't a situation where I could eat what I wanted to eat. Since the beginning of baseball, I thought, 'I'm good at baseball, so I have to protect my family.'"Because I had that thought, I think it gave me the strength to continue playing baseball and get through it well even if it was hard."

However, Choo Shin-soo, who was a promising player in Korea, hit the limit as soon as he went to the U.S. Choo Shin-soo "At the same time, I resented my mom and dad a lot. He was not as tall as American children and had no elasticity in his body"I recalled my difficult life in the U.S. minor leagues.

Choo Shin-soo's mother said, "'Let's go to Korea' when he first went to the Minor League and saw him eating bread in a place without any shade. I just couldn't see it," he said, expressing his sorrow for his son who suffered in another country. At the time, Choo Shin-soo said "I think my mom and dad made the wrong choice." So I said 'If you're going to cry, go to Korea' 'Mom got it wrong. It's not my mom and dad's choice, it's my choice. I did it."

After finishing his meal, Choo Shin-soo visited Sajik Stadium in Busan alone. Choo Shin-soo looked around the stadium alone, saying, `I kept it in my head a lot during the (retired) game, but I wanted to see it one more time, so I came here after eating.'

Choo Shin-soo said, `It's been 33 years since I stepped on this ballpark and left. The moment seems to fly by in an instant. From the moment the Lotte Giants won in 1992 (until their last at-bat). It seems to pass like a movie film. BYE resignation," he said, with tears in his eyes.

yaqqol@sportschosun.com

Choo Shin-soo Reflects on 33-Year Baseball Journey

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