Shin-Soo Choo

Shin-Soo Choo

Choo with the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers – No. 17
Right fielder
Born: (1982-07-13) July 13, 1982
Busan, South Korea
Bats: Left Throws: Left
MLB debut
April 21, 2005, for the Seattle Mariners
MLB statistics
(through April 8, 2016)
Batting average .281
Hits 1,165
Home runs 139
Runs batted in 550
Runs 650
Stolen bases 113
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Shin-Soo Choo

Medal record
Men's baseball
World Baseball Classic
2009 Los Angeles Team
Asian Games
2010 Guangzhou Team
Shin-Soo Choo

Choo in 2012.
Korean name
Hangul 추신수
Hanja 秋信守
Revised Romanization Chu Sinsu
McCune–Reischauer Ch'u Sinsu
The native form of this personal name is Choo Shin-soo. This article uses the Western name order.

Shin-Soo Choo (Hangul: 추신수; Hanja: 秋信守; born July 13, 1982) is a South Korean professional baseball right fielder for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has also played for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, and Cincinnati Reds.

Choo was selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Best Pitcher of the 2000 World Junior Baseball Championship as South Korea won the event. Choo signed a $1.35 million contract with the Mariners after the championship and converted to the outfield.

Career

Seattle Mariners

2005–2006

Choo made his Major League Baseball debut with the Seattle Mariners on April 21, with the Class A affiliate for the Seattle Mariners the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in 2005, but spent most of the 2005 season and the first half of the 2006 season in the minor leagues with the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers. He batted .068 in a handful of major league at-bats over two years. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians along with minor leaguer Shawn Nottingham on July 26, 2006, for first baseman Ben Broussard.[1]

Cleveland Indians

2006

Two days after being traded, Choo hit a solo home run against his former club in a 1–0 Indians victory. In 45 games with the Indians, he batted .295 (43 for 146) with three home runs and 22 RBIs.

2007

He spent the first few weeks of the 2007 regular season with the Buffalo Bisons, a Triple-A team in the International League affiliated with the Indians, before being called up on April 23, 2007, to take the place of the injured third baseman Andy Marte.[2] He was optioned back to Buffalo on May 3.[3] Choo missed several months of the 2007 season due to injury and in September 2007 underwent Tommy John surgery on his left elbow.[4]

2008

In the 2008 season, Choo was called up on May 31 and spent the rest of the season with the Indians. He finished the season (after 317 at-bats) with a .309 batting average, 98 hits, 14 home runs, and 66 RBIs. His hit and RBI totals were also a new record by a Korean-born player in the MLB. Thanks to a hot September where he put up a .400 batting average, 34 hits, 5 home runs, and 24 RBIs, Choo was named the AL Player of the Month.[5]

2009

In February 2009, he signed a one-year contract with the Indians.[6] During that season, he broke his own records for home runs, RBIs, stolen bases and hits. On July 3, Choo hit two home runs and a career-high seven RBIs in an Indians 15–3 victory over the Oakland Athletics. On October 3, 2009, Choo hit his twentieth homer off of Paul Byrd of the Boston Red Sox, thus joining the 20-20 club. He is the first Asian to accomplish this feat in the Major Leagues.[7] He was also the only player in the AL to have a .300 average, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases at the same time. He finished the season with 20 home runs, 21 steals, 86 RBIs, and a .300 batting average.

2010

On February 26, 2010, Choo hired baseball agent Scott Boras.[8] Choo became eligible for arbitration after the 2010 season, and agreed to a $3.975 million deal.[9] Choo hit three home runs in a road game against the Kansas City Royals on September 17, 2010. He first hit a two-run homer 420 ft to right in the top of the fourth inning. In his next at bat he hit a towering grand slam to deep center. In the top of the eighth Choo hit a 405 ft solo homer over the right field wall. Choo finished the game a three-run homer away from the elusive "home run cycle". On September 19, 2010, Choo again reached the 20-20 club of 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases for the second straight year. He also led the AL right fielders in assists with 14.[10]

2011

Choo showed promise in spring training, hitting for a .322 average with three home runs in 19 games. However, Choo's season fell apart quickly. In what was his worst statistical season as an Indian, Choo finished the season with eight home runs, a .259 batting average, 12 stolen bases, and 36 RBIs while accumulating 78 strikeouts and 36 walks in 313 at-bats. On June 24, Choo was hit by San Francisco Giants pitcher Jonathan Sánchez on his left thumb. The resulting fracture kept him out for six weeks.[11] On August 23, during the first game of a double header against his former club, the Seattle Mariners, a game in which during an earthquake he hit a double. In the ninth inning, Choo hit his first walk-off home run. On September 1, Choo pulled a side muscle and was placed on the disabled list again, ending his season.[12]

2012

Choo signs autographs for fans prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

On April 14 in a game against the Kansas City Royals which would see bench clearings by both teams, Choo was hit by Royals starter Jonathan Sánchez on his right knee. It was a pitch from Sanchez that hit Choo in 2011, resulting in a broken thumb and nearly two months on the disabled list. Choo would finish the game and win it for the Indians in the tenth inning when he hit a two-run double.[13] On April 24, Choo left in the eighth inning in a game versus the Royals after suffering a mild hamstring strain.[14] Choo would return on May 2 in a 6–3 Indians win versus the Chicago White Sox.[15] On May 24 in series finale home game against the Detroit Tigers, Choo hit a second-deck home run off of Tigers starter Justin Verlander in the first inning. That was Choo's first career lead-off home run. The Indians won that game 2-1, finishing the sweep against the Tigers.

Cincinnati Reds

2013

On December 11, 2012, Choo was traded to the Cincinnati Reds along with Jason Donald in a three team, nine player deal also involving the Arizona Diamondbacks. The trade brought Trevor Bauer, Matt Albers, Bryan Shaw, and Drew Stubbs to the Cleveland Indians.[16] On February 11, 2013, Choo avoided arbitration with his new team, the Reds, by agreeing to a one-year, $7.375 million deal, the exact midpoint between both sides.[17]

On May 8, 2013, Choo hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 9th inning in a game with the Atlanta Braves. It was his second walk-off home run in Major League Baseball.[18] On August 27 in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Choo hit his 100th career home run. On September 9, 2013, Choo set the Reds' team record for hit by pitches in a season.[19] On October 2, 2013 Choo homered in the bottom of the 8th inning in the wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is the first Korean batter who hit a home run in Major League Baseball postseason.[20]

Texas Rangers

2014

On December 21, 2013, it was reported that Choo had agreed a seven-year, $130 million contract with the Texas Rangers, pending a physical examination.[21] The Rangers officially introduced Choo on December 27. However his first season with the team did not go well. He battled ankle injuries for most of the season and played in only 123 games while putting up a slash line of .242/.340/.374; making 2014 the worst season of his ten-year career. It was a major blow to the Rangers as they heavily invested that he and newly acquired Prince Fielder would contribute to help the team win a division title. Instead he was added unto the long list of injuries that kept the Rangers out of contention along with Prince Fielder, Mitch Moreland, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland, and many others.[22]

2015

On July 21, 2015, Choo hit for the cycle against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. In doing so, he became the ninth player in Rangers history to hit for the cycle as well as the first Asian player in the MLB to accomplish this feat.[23]

World Baseball Classic

Choo was on the 2009 World Baseball Classic Korean roster. Cleveland allowed Choo to play under the condition that he play only one game or less as an outfielder in the first round, and only in two non-consecutive games of the second round.[24] Cleveland lifted this restriction from the semifinals on, and Choo started as an outfielder in the semifinal match against Venezuela. He helped Korea win 10-2 against Venezuela with a three-run home run against Carlos Silva in the first inning. He also contributed a solo home run in the fifth inning in the finals against Hisashi Iwakuma of Japan, where Korea lost to Japan 5–3.

Personal

Family and friends

Choo and his wife Won-mi Ha have three children, Alan, Aiden, and Abigail.[25][26] Choo is the nephew of Park Jeong-Tae, a former second baseman for the Lotte Giants.[27] Choo has been a close friend of Lee Dae-Ho, infielder in the Seattle Mariners organization, since attending the same elementary school together.[28]

Drunk driving arrest

Early in the morning on Monday, May 4, 2011, Choo was arrested and charged with drunk driving in Sheffield Lake, Ohio.[29] He was pulled over by police around 2:25am because of his vehicle weaving, and Choo's blood alcohol content (via Breathalyzer test) was reportedly 0.20%, more than twice the legal limit in the state.[30]

In popular culture

References

  1. ↑ Brock, Corey (July 26, 2006). "Mariners acquire Broussard from Tribe". MLB.com. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Transactions – April 2007". Mlb.com. Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Transactions – May 2007". Mlb.com. Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Indians OF Choo undergoes Tommy John surgery". Associated Press. September 25, 2007. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Shin-Soo Choo Stats, Video Highlights, Photos, Bio". Mlb.com. Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  6. ↑ Hoynes, Paul (February 2, 2009). "Cleveland Indians sign nine to one-year contracts". Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio: Advanced Media). Retrieved March 2, 2009.
  7. ↑ Hoynes, Paul (October 5, 2009). "Cleveland Indians' Shin-Soo Choo first Asian big-leaguer to achieve 20-20". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  8. ↑ Castrovince, Anthony (February 27, 2010). "Choo drops Nero, picks up Boras". MLB.com. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  9. ↑ Paul, Hoynes. "Good day for the Cleveland Indians: Tribe avoids arbitration with Shin-Soo Choo, Chris Perez, Rafael Perez". The Plain Dealer.
  10. ↑ "Shin-Soo Choo Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  11. ↑ Hoynes, Paul (April 10, 2012). "Shin-soo Choo praising thumb guard after another HBP". Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Shin-Soo Choo goes back on DL". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 1, 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Indians hang on to beat Royals 11–9 in 10 innings". SI.com. New York: Time Warner. April 14, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  14. ↑ Bastian, Jordan (April 28, 2012). "Indians remain cautious with injured Choo". Mlb.com (Major League Baseball Advanced Media). Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Santana, Hafner homer as Indians beat White Sox". Sports Illustrated (New York). Associated Press. May 2, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  16. ↑ Meisel, Zack (December 11, 2012). "Tribe gets Bauer from D-backs, Choo heads to Reds". MLB.com. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Shin-Soo Choo, Reds agree". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 11, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Choo's HR lifts Reds over Braves". Channel A. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  19. ↑ "Choo sets team mark for hit by pitches". MLB.com. September 9, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Choo Little, Choo Late". Korea Times. October 1, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  21. ↑ Crasnick, Jerry (December 21, 2013). "Rangers land OF Shin-Soo Choo". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  22. ↑ Sullivan, T.R. (December 27, 2013). "Rangers introduce prized free agent Choo". MLB.com. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Choo Shin-Soo becomes the first Asian-born MLB player to hit for cycle". KOREATIMESUS.com. Associated Press. July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  24. ↑ Castrovince, Anthony (March 4, 2009). "Choo's injury complicated for Indians". Mlb.com (Major League Baseball Advanced Media). Retrieved March 5, 2009.
  25. ↑ Nelson, Amy K. (March 5, 2009). "Duty calls for Indians' Choo". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  26. ↑ Bastian, Jordan (February 29, 2012). "Army training offers Choo needed perspective". MLB.com. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  27. ↑ http://osen.mt.co.kr/article/G1109316761
  28. ↑ tarafraney (2013-02-10). "A Shin-Soo Choo Movie + Bonus Choo HS Stats". Aerys Sports. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  29. ↑ "Indians' Choo charged with DUI". Sports Illustrated (New York). May 3, 2011.
  30. ↑ "Cleveland Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo apologizes to team, fans for DUI arrest". Plain Dealer. May 3, 2011.

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