“There is something I want to say to my seniors. Just because I was born early and played baseball doesn’t make me a senior.”

Choo Shin-soo (41, SSG Landers) once again threw a small stone into the Korean baseball world. On the 21st (Korean time), Choo Shin-soo appeared on ‘DKNET’, a Korean radio broadcaster in Dallas, Texas, USA, and voiced his regret about the formation of the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) team. He argued that it was difficult to understand the elimination of Kiwoom Heroes pitcher An Woo-jin (24), which was the biggest controversy at the time of the announcement of the 30-man final entry.

First, we pointed out that there are still many names of veterans in the national team list, such as Kim Gwang-hyun (35, SSG) Yang Hyeon-jong (35, KIA) and Kim Hyun-soo (35, LG). If you look at nearby Japan, you can see many new faces at every international competition, but that is not the case in Korea.

Choo Shin-soo said, “Korea is like that just by looking at Kim Hyun-soo. Kim Hyun-soo has the grades and skills to represent Korea, but if it were me, I would have seen the future. There should have been a lot of them. Until when were there Kim Gwang-hyun and Yang Hyeon-jong? Didn’t there be an article in Japan saying ‘Kim Kwang-hyun is again’?”

He emphasized that a bold generation change is necessary for the future of Korean baseball. Choo Shin-soo said, “If you look at Korea while playing, there are an enormous number of young and talented players. If you make such players participate in international competitions from a young age, the feelings and mindset of those players change enormously.”

He continued, “For example, Moon Dong-ju (20, Hanwha) 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 An Woo-jin. It’s something Korean baseball has to do. I’m sorry about that.”

Regarding Ahn Woo-jin’s elimination from the national team, he pointed out seniors in the baseball world who were bystanders. Ahn Woo-jin performed most outstandingly among the 1 starters of 10 teams in the KBO League last year. In 30 games, he recorded 15 wins and 8 losses, 196 innings, 224 strikeouts, and an earned run average of 2.11, leaving even foreign aces with outstanding results. In the strikeout category, he overtook Lotte Choi Dong-won (223 strikeouts) in 1984 and set the record for the most strikeouts in one season by a domestic pitcher. It was just one difference from Doosan Ariel Miranda (225 strikeouts) in 2021, the first place in history.

However, the fact that Ahn Woo-jin was disciplined for school violence while attending Whimoon High School has been holding back his ankles until now. Announcing the final entry, Technical Committee Chairman Cho Beom-hyun explained, “The selection criteria for players were based on various factors, such as the symbolic meaning of being a national representative representing the country, responsibility, and pride, along with the player’s skills.” 메이저사이트

Choo Shin-soo said, “Ahn Woo-jin clearly did the wrong thing, and it’s really sad to see and hear as a third person. I don’t think it’s easy. When I was young, I repented of my mistakes, I was punished, and I was suspended from participation. But I can’t go to international competitions,” he lamented.

“There is something I want to say to my baseball seniors. I am not a senior because I was born early and played baseball early. When I see a player who suffers such unreasonable things, I think I should step up. But no one steps forward. When I’m exercising, I have to speak up and try to help, but I just watch. That’s a pity,” he added.

In addition, he emphasized that Korean baseball still has a long way to go in terms of infrastructure. Choo Shin-soo said, “When I didn’t experience Korean baseball, I thought it would be about Double A (minor league). Now that I’m playing, I’ve thought about why it’s only Double A. The environment is so poor. Baseball fans only watch what they see on TV, If you go inside, it’s really poor enough to make you wonder if it’s an environment that a professional team can enjoy.”

Along with the improvement of the infrastructure, it was hoped that the field of view of the players would also be broadened. Choo Shin-soo said, “Since I’m only in Korea, the players have a narrow field of view, and I think this is the end. In the US, no matter how good you are at baseball, there will be another player like me in 5-10 minutes, and 3-4 more in 30 minutes. There are a lot of amazing players. In Korea, when you reach a certain level, you know that you are really good at baseball. It is a little uncomfortable to see that. There are so many players who fly and crawl, but it hurts to think that only this one knows.” I hoped that it would develop further in many ways.