Choo Shin-soo Reflects on His Passion for Baseball and Life in the MLB

Choo Shin-soo recently expressed his enduring passion and love for baseball.

On the October 8th episode of TV Chosun's 'Baekban Journey with Heo Young-man,' former MLB player Choo Shin-soo embarked on a 'Korean Beef Special' tour, visiting Gyeongju, Pohang, and Uiseong.

Choo, who married his college sweetheart Ha Won-mi in 2004, is a proud father of two sons and a daughter. Known for his devotion to his family, Choo shared, "My wife is from Busan. She came to the U.S. during her college break, and that's when we had our first child." He added, "She has always been supportive. One morning, I couldn't find her and discovered her sitting on the apartment stairs, holding our baby. She stepped out so the baby's crying wouldn't wake me."

Heo Young-man asked Choo, "Athletes eat a lot of meat, right? What's the most beef you've eaten?" Choo replied, "I've eaten up to 10 servings and about 7-8 hamburgers."

Choo moved to the U.S. at 18 and spent seven years in the minor leagues. Reflecting on his journey, he said, "I was scouted and signed a contract, receiving a signing bonus of $1.37 million." He recalled, "When I first arrived in the U.S. at 18, the lowest level in the minor leagues didn't even pay a salary. Meals cost about 20,000 won a day. Breakfast was like a hotel buffet with bacon and eggs, but for lunch, I had to save every penny to afford a meal. Otherwise, I couldn't eat dinner."

Choo also shared his highest earnings, stating, "I earned about 1.3 to 1.4 billion won every two weeks, with an annual salary of $21 million at the time," which is approximately 30 billion won as of November this year.

When asked about the best food he had in the U.S., Choo said, "In the MLB, the food is excellent. They provide personalized meals for each player, making it a place everyone wants to be."

In 2021, Choo joined the SSG Landers, returning to the KBO after 21 years, and retired after the 2024 season. He stated, "I wanted to contribute positively to Korean baseball while I still could. If I had been focused on money, I would have stayed in the U.S. I wanted to end my career meaningfully."

Choo also celebrated a championship win in the 2022 Korean Series, reflecting, "It felt like a reward for my baseball career." When asked if he would choose baseball again in another life, Choo affirmed, "I would 100% play baseball again. Going to the ballpark is still the happiest time for me."

Reported by Kim Ji-won, TenAsia bella@tenasia.co.kr