"I want to be helpful to the Landers and juniors." Choo Shin-soo keeps his long-term promise, will he lead the development of SSG

"I want to be helpful to the Landers and juniors." Choo Shin-soo keeps his long-term promise, will he lead the development of SSG

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Choo Shin-soo, 42, who announced that he will retire from active duty after the 2024 season, expressed his commitment for the last season ahead of the team's off-season training held in Vero Beach, Florida in February. As a result, people naturally started talking about his retirement from active duty. It was inevitable for baseball fans to see how the best fielder produced by Korean baseball will live after retirement.

At the time, Choo said his first goal was to spend more time with his family members who sacrificed for him for a long time. Other than that, nothing has been decided." However, he stressed that there is one thing that is certain. Choo said, "In Korea, I only wore Landers' uniform. I have affection for Landers. Even outside the club, if there is anything I can do to help my juniors, I will do everything," he promised. This was something that Choo had been saying for a long time.메이저사이트

There were many ways to live after retirement. In fact, he received huge annual salary in the Major League. He also receives maximum pension. He has accumulated wealth. It doesn't matter if he completely left the baseball world or if he lives a new life in another field. However, Choo had no intention of leaving the "baseball" that he cherishes the most. However, he seemed to be agonizing over how to establish a point of contact right away.

When the news came out again in the middle of the season, Choo did not seem to think that he should become a leader right away. "I do this when I think I am definitely ready," Choo says. He didn't think he was ready to become a field leader just yet. On top of that, he needed to take a rest as he was mentally and physically exhausted after suffering from shoulder injuries throughout the season. He also had to undergo shoulder surgery after the season, and he will take some time off to think about his next move."

However, he is likely to leave his post again to keep his previous promise. Reportedly, Choo will work as the front desk officer of SSG in 2025. Details of his position and what he will do have yet to be finalized. As the team continues to coordinate with the current team, it will likely be confirmed soon. However, chances are high that he will add strength to the Futures team (second division) rather than the first division. The team is also cautiously anticipating that it will seek to add strength in the development sector.

Considering Choo's usual stories, this is a highly realistic scenario. When Choo had an injury, he would go to a second-tier facility in Ganghwa to undergo rehabilitation and play rehabilitation games. At that time, he was very impressed by his juniors, who did their best even in a difficult environment, and he would give generous support with his own money. Having experienced a career in the second-tier Ganghwa team, Choo did considerable research on how the nurturing system of KBO league clubs including SSG differs from that of Major League Baseball, and enjoyed discussions with officials.

Unlike other players who moved to the Major League after passing the KBO League, Choo has grown up through the Major League development system. After graduating from Busan High School, he signed with the Seattle Mariners in 2001. He made his Major League debut with the Seattle Mariners in 2005 after going through all the phases every year. Choo said he felt a lot as he went through all the phases in a year, from the rookie league to the triple A. Since then, he has played for Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Texas for a whopping 16 years in the Major League alone. During his 16-year career in the big league, he played in 1,652 games with a batting average of 0.275, 218 homers, 782 RBIs, 961 runs, 157 steals, and recorded an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of 0.824.

As he is a player who has played in an advanced environment for a long time, he must have felt that the KBO League's development system is lacking in both hardware and software. Hardware is not easy to supplement right away, but it can be of great help if you transplant your advanced major league experience into the SSG development system. In addition, since he has played in both the first and second teams for four years in the KBO League, it is expected that there will be an idea that has been properly compromised with the reality of the KBO League rather than unconditionally pushing for the Major League style. In fact, after coming to the KBO League, Choo Shin-soo stressed that the facilities should be improved in order for players to perform at their best, which resonated greatly with the league. Incheon SSG Landersfield actively accepted Choo Shin-soo's idea and greatly improved the clubhouse facility on the first base where SSG players stay in the Major League style, and also improved the clubhouse on the third base where away team players stay, which received positive response.

SSG also recognized that Choo Shin-soo was a valuable asset for the club. Choo had a choice about how he would spend 2025, but he hoped that he would be within the club in some way if he continued to work in the baseball community. Even if it wasn't for SSG's proposal, Choo would have done something to help his juniors outside, but as he works within SSG, the club and his ideas are expected to gain more momentum. It is expected that Choo Shin-soo will travel between Korea and the U.S. to build a network of clubs, which will help the club's software. As Choo was such a big player in the Major League, absorbing that network is a great strength for the club.

With Choo's style unlikely to matter much as long as his job direction is determined, there are not many cases in which stars representing the KBO League retire to join the team after retirement. In recent years, people tend to be commentators rather than immediately starting a leader, or show their faces on entertainment shows first. Park Chan-ho, Lee Seung-yeop, and Lee Dae-ho, who are known as stars of Korean baseball's non-expanding expenditure, met with the baseball community again as commentators. Choo's start could be a reason why he seems to be a little more special.