Choo Shinsoo's last at-bat made by Choi Jeong..."It was touching. It was cool. It's just that I..."

Oct 01, 2024

The game between SSG Landers and Kiwoom Heroes at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 30th. SSG Choo Shin-soo hugs Choi Jung after finishing the at-bat in the bottom of the eighth inning with one out. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.30/

"It was touching. And it was cool."

It was as dramatic as SSG Landers going to the tiebreaker, the fifth-place match. It is about Choo Shin-soo's last at-bat.

SSG beat Kiwoom Heroes 7-2 in the final game of the season at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 30th. He miraculously saved his hope for fall baseball with four consecutive wins in the last minute.

And there is another thing that the SSG squad was satisfied with. It was that he put Choo Shin-soo at the plate.

The story was like this. Choo announced his retirement at the end of this season. But my shoulder hurt. I couldn't even throw the ball. He did not play after the Hanwha Eagles match on the 10th of last month. We followed the medical staff's recommendation that shoulder injuries could worsen.

The game between SSG Landers and Kiwoom Heroes at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 30th. SSG Choo Shin-soo, a pinch hitter with one out, greets the batter at the bottom of the eighth inning. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.30/

However, it was ambiguous for Choo Shin-soo to say goodbye to his fans. SSG was competing for a blood-drying fifth place. Choo also declined the retirement ceremony. It's time to focus only on the game," he said, adding that he will hold a retirement ceremony next year. In the meantime, it was also unreasonable to force Choo Shin-soo, who had a poor performance, into the game.

The final game of the season that came like that. If you win the game, you have a tiebreaker, but it was an away game. If he failed to advance to the postseason, it was his last chance to say hello to his home fans.

However, if the game was tight until the end, there could be no time for Choo Shin-soo to go out as a pinch hitter. Before the game, Choo Shin-soo met with manager Lee Sung-yong and said he would not play in such a situation. It was a decision for the team.

The match between SSG Landers and Kiwoom Heroes at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 30th. In the bottom of the fourth inning, SSG Choi Jung, with two outs, is cheering after hitting a full base. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.30/

Choi Jeong-eun, a leading star, said to Choo Shin-soo "Bro, "Then you'll have to score a lot." And I kept that promise. Choi Jung-eun hit a two-run shot in the third inning and a decisive bases-loaded shot in the fourth inning, creating a chance for Choo Shin-soo to say goodbye to his fans as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning. With tears in his eyes, Choo Shin-soo was thrilled, saying, `At-bat made by Jung-i.' In fact, Choo Shin-soo came into the dugout and hugged Choi Jung after stepping down with a ground ball to the second base at the last at-bat.

Choi Jeong "It was touching. He said, "It was cool". "I hope my turn comes a little late"," he said with a smile. It means I want to play as long as I can. Choi Jeong, whose six-year FA contract with SSG ends this year, is preparing for a new contract.

The game between SSG Landers and Kiwoom Heroes at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 30th. SSG Choo Shin-soo, a pinch hitter with one out, is talking with Choi Jung after stepping down with an infield grounder in the bottom of the eighth inning. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.30/

Choo Shin-soo, who commanded the U.S. Major League Baseball stage, took off his uniform after entering his 12,145th at-bat in both Korea and the United States. It was the end of his 24-year career. Choo Shin-soo said, `I'm exhausted both physically and mentally. Even if our team goes up to the postseason, I don't think it will be easy for me. I'll cheer you on from behind," he said, calmly accepting his retirement.

The match between SSG Landers and Kiwoom Heroes at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 30th. SSG Choo Shin-soo's wife Ha-mi and daughter Choo So-hee are watching the match. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.30/

To watch the last game of the day, his wife Ha Won-mi and daughter Chu So-hee visited the stadium, and when her husband and father entered the last at-bat, they could not hide their tears. Choo Shin-soo, who heard this, joked that `My daughter is cold, she wouldn't have cried,' but "The children suffered because of their father." I transferred a lot from the United States and changed my friends a lot. It's a pity that my two sons couldn't come because of school. He took care of his family.

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Choo Shinsoo's last at-bat made by Choi Jeong..."It was touching. It was cool. It's just that I..."

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