The remarks of SSG Landers’ eldest brother and clubhouse leader Choo Shin-soo (41) became a hot topic. If you look closely, it feels like an inconsistency.
Choo Shin-soo appeared on ‘DKNET’, a Korean radio station in Dallas, Texas, USA on the 21st (Korean time). In this broadcast, he revealed his thoughts on the composition of the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) team.
Choo Shin-soo expressed regret, citing the lack of new faces in the national team. A representative example is the trio Kim Gwang-hyun (35, SSG), Yang Hyeon-jong (35, KIA Tigers), and Kim Hyun-soo (35, LG Twins), born in 1988, who are high-ranking slashers.
Kim Gwang-hyeon and Kim Hyeon-soo have been playing as members of the national team since the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At the time, he boarded the national team at the young age of 20 with outstanding skills, but he is still putting his name on the national team 15 years later. Starting with the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, Yang Hyeon-jong has also been steadily onboard the national team.
Choo Shin-soo regretted that young players were not selected for the national team and said, “In Korea, just look at Kim Hyun-soo. Kim Hyun-soo has good grades and skills to represent Korea, but if it were me, I would have seen the future. If I had looked at the future rather than the immediate results, it would be true that many players would not go, and there should have been many new players. Until when are Kim Gwang-hyun and Yang Hyeon-jong? Didn’t there be an article in Japan saying ‘Kwang-Hyun Kim is here again’?”
“If you look at playing in Korea, there are a lot of young and talented players. If you let such players go to international competitions from a young age, the emotions and minds they feel change enormously. For example, Moon Dong-ju (20, Hanwha Eagles) is said to be lacking in control, but from my point of view, there is no pitcher who can throw as much as he does now. The same goes for Ahn Woo-jin (24, Kiwoom Heroes). It is Korean baseball’s job to create opportunities for these players to show up in international competitions and go abroad. I felt regretful about that,” insisting on the need for a generational change.
In this situation, Choo Shin-soo’s remarks can feel like a double standard.
Choo Shin-soo raised his voice about the generational change, but he is still in charge of the senior team. Ahead of this season, he succeeded in renewing the contract for one year at an annual salary of 1.7 billion won. Even at the age of 41, he showed a willingness to play as a player.
Veteran Choo Shin-soo argued for the exclusion of senior players with the logic of creating opportunities for young players. However, as the team’s eldest brother and clubhouse leader, he insists on not selecting senior members of the national team.
Also, Choo Shin-soo is showing a downward trend in the KBO league. Compared to the 2021 season, last year’s batting average, home runs, RBIs, and OPS fell further. 메이저놀이터 He has also been out of action due to injury. It is not enough to have a persuasive power at the point of drawing a downward curve and extending the player’s life.
Regardless of right or wrong, Choo Shin-soo’s remarks are a hot topic every day. With a lot of experience he gained while playing in the major leagues, he spared no bitterness for Korean baseball. In fact, those words led to improvements in infrastructure and brought about positive effects.
However, the selection of the national team is a sensitive subject. And the national team hasn’t even raised an anchor yet. At this point, it is regrettable to say a word from a veteran who has gone through all of the prenatal battles. In addition, the ironic situation in which a veteran who extended his playing career voluntarily insists on the exclusion of senior players is also turning fans’ heads.