'Can I see the director CHOO?' Choo Shin-soo's answer "Can I do well?"

Nov 07, 2024

On the 7th, a press conference for the retirement of SSG Landers Choo Shin-soo was held at the Incheon of Gyeongwonjae Ambassador in Songdo, Incheon. Choo Shin-soo at the retirement ceremony. Songdo = Reporter Song Jeong-heon @sportschosun.com/2024.11.07/

"I think it's more important to do well on the spot than to go there."

Choo Shin-soo leaves the ground. Choo held a retirement press conference at Kyungwonjae Ambassador in Songdo, Incheon on the 7th. Choo Shin-soo, who attended the press conference wearing a suit, appeared to have fixed up after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder, which had been bothering him this season after the end of the season. In addition, Choi Jung and Kim Kwang-hyun attended the conference hall and handed out a bouquet of congratulatory flowers as representatives of the team.

This is the farewell of a player who made a mark in the history of Korean baseball players.

Born in Busan Metropolitan City, Choo Shin-soo signed with the Seattle Mariners through an international amateur free contract in 2001 after graduating from Busan High School, challenging the Major League. Since then, the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, and Texas Rangers have been major leaguers for about 15 years.

The Major League's overall performance was 1,671 hits, 218 home runs, 782 RBIs, and a .377 OPS 824. When he joined Texas after obtaining his first FA qualification, Choo Shin-soo signed the largest contract for an Asian player with seven years and $130 million. He also left his best career as a Korean player, including the selection of an American League All-Star in 2018, the first Asian to achieve 20-20 in the Major League, and the first Asian cycling hit.

On the 7th, a press conference for the retirement of SSG Landers Choo Shin-soo was held at the Incheon of Gyeongwonjae Ambassador in Songdo, Incheon. Choo Shin-soo, who is being congratulated by Choi Jung and Kim Kwang-hyun. Songdo = Reporter Song Jeong-heon @sportschosun.com/2024.11.07/

Choo Shin-soo's contract with Texas ended after the 2020 season. After contemplating the extension of the Major League and returning to Korea, SSG, which was preparing for the establishment, actively persuaded Choo Shin-soo, who had the right to be named, to go to the KBO League, and the trip to Incheon was made.

During his four years at SSG, Choo Shin-soo recorded a batting average of 263 with 396 hits, 54 homers, 205 RBIs in 439 games. In the 2022 season, he collaborated on SSG's first 'Wire to Wire' to win the championship, which had never been achieved.

Choo Shin-soo, who announced his retirement early ahead of this season, spent his last season as captain of the team. Accepting the captain's position at the request of head coach Lee Sung-yong, it was difficult for him to play normally due to a shoulder injury in the second half, but he finished his career by playing his role as a mentor and paragon for juniors.

Choo Shin-soo said, `I've seen Park Chan-ho's retirement press conference before, and I was not there, but I cried. I also had a question mark about whether there would be such a position, but I want to say thank you so much for paying so much attention to the club. At the end, the injury eliminated my lingering feelings as a player. I came to admit it. I can't do it anymore as a player. Watching him play in the dugout makes me want to go out as soon as possible, but the thought of going out on the field naturally disappears because the injury has kept me struggling for a year. The injury is what stopped me from lingering as a player. I wanted to give other players a chance and now I thought I did as much as I could," he said calmly.

On the 7th, a press conference for the retirement of SSG Landers Choo Shin-soo was held at the Incheon of Gyeongwonjae Ambassador in Songdo, Incheon. Choo Shin-soo is answering questions from reporters. Songdo = Reporter Song Jeong-heon @sportschosun.com/2024.11.07/

At the beginning of the press conference, he introduced himself as `Choo Shin-soo, a former professional baseball player who became an ordinary person.' Naturally, the most attention was paid to what he would do after retirement. When asked how he was designing the `second life,' Choo Shin-soo said, `Now my body and mind are very tired. Various thoughts and suggestions are coming in, but for now, I think it's more important to do well on the spot than to go anywhere. You have to think about whether you are prepared enough to go to a certain position. It hasn't been long since baseball ended, so it seems too early to say that I'm doing something. I'm going to take a little break and think about it slowly."

On the 7th, a press conference for the retirement of SSG Landers Choo Shin-soo was held at the Incheon of Gyeongwonjae Ambassador in Songdo, Incheon. Back number 17. Choo Shin-soo is taking a commemorative pose with seven uniforms. Songdo = Reporter Song Jeong-heon @sportschosun.com/2024.11.07/

He was also asked if there was a possibility that he would return as coach Choo Shin-soo. Choo Shin-soo was also caught up in the 'next coach' rumor last year even before he retired from active duty. Choo Shin-soo said "Can I do well. But?," smiling "I think the director has a lot of baggage. It's not an easy place to be made. I don't have a zunib, so I don't think I'll do it even if I get an offer"I drew the line.

"What can I do really well while resting now?" I want to think about how players can focus only on baseball and play advanced baseball. I played in the Major League for a long time, but I played as a player, not as a coach.

youll@sportschosun.com

'Can I see the director CHOO?' Choo Shin-soo's answer "Can I do well?"

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