“I wanted to give strength to our team, which wants to advance directly to the semi-playoffs (semi-PO),” was the ‘reason for sprinting’ revealed by Choo Shin-soo.
As Choo Shin-soo wished, SSG won 5-0 in the home game against the Doosan Bears held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 17th and ended the regular season in 3rd place.
SSG, who fell to 6th place on September 22 and was in danger of advancing to the postseason, showed strength at the last minute and won a direct ticket to the semi-playoffs.
Choo Shin-soo, whom we met after the game, said with an expression full of emotion, “It’s as meaningful as winning the overall championship last year, going straight to the semi-playoffs this season.”
SSG won the 'Wire-to-Wire Championship' last year by maintaining first place from the opening game of the regular season to the end date, and then became the winner of the Korean Series, achieving a combined championship.
Although the dream of winning the regular season for two years in a row was not achieved, Choo Shin-soo emphasized that it was “a sufficiently meaningful achievement.”
He said, "Last year, everything went well. This year, there were many twists and turns, such as a foreigner not joining at the beginning of the season and injuries," and "We finished the regular season in 3rd place after falling to 6th place at the end of September. “It means that we have that much power. We proved this season that last season’s combined championship was not luck,” he added.
It was a season full of twists and turns for Choo Shin-soo.
Choo Shin-soo volunteered to go to the 2nd Army on May 26th.
At the time, he said, "I feel uncomfortable when swinging due to pain in my right ankle. It is difficult to run the bases normally." He added, "When I look at myself calmly, I decided that I am not helping the team's strength right now. After thinking about it for a few days, I carefully consulted with the manager, etc. “I told the coaching staff that I wanted to reorganize in the second team,” he said.
Choo Shin-soo is the hitter with the best performance among Korean major leaguers.
Choo Shin-soo, who graduated from Busan High School and moved to the United States by signing a contract with the Seattle Mariners in 2001, endured a difficult minor league life and succeeded in making his big league debut in 2005.
Afterwards, he traveled through the major leagues until 2020, playing 1,652 games, batting average of 0.275 (1,671 hits in 6,087 at-bats), 218 home runs, 782 RBI, and 157 stolen bases.
It is a brilliant resume that is difficult to compare with anyone else.
It is very unusual for a veteran with this level of experience to volunteer for a second military service.
Choo Shin-soo, who reorganized in the 2nd team, returned to the 1st team on June 16 and contributed to SSG's leap forward.
Choo Shin-soo's performance this season was not satisfactory, with a batting average of 0.251, 12 home runs, 40 RBI, and 65 runs. His on-base percentage was also 0.377, which was lower than in 2021 (0.409) and last year (0.382) when he entered the KBO League.
However, Choo Shin-soo still serves as SSG's leader both on and off the field.
Choo Shin-soo said, “My physical condition right now is neither very bad nor that good,” and added, “That’s how it is in baseball. There are good days and bad days, and this year, I learned once again from watching ‘our SSG players overcome even bad times.’ They are truly our players. “You guys are amazing,” he said, encouraging his juniors.
At the end of the season, ‘Choo Shin-soo’s next season’ becomes a hot topic among SSG fans.
Choo Shin-soo plans to focus on the postseason for now.
He said, "I haven't made a plan for next year yet. There is still work left to do this season," and "I will think about next year's plan after we play a competitive and enjoyable postseason this fall."