Choi Ji-man said, "Weight toward playing in the KBO after serving in the military."
Choi Ji-man said, "Weight toward playing in the KBO after serving in the military."
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Choi Ji-man (34) is also sweating with LG players at Scottsdale Indian School Park Ballpark in Arizona, the U.S., where the LG Twins spring camp is located.
Choi Ji-man, who signed with the New York Mets of the U.S. Major League Baseball after training at the LG Arizona camp last year, is visiting the LG camp again this year to boost his condition.
Choi Ji-man visits the stadium and plays batting balls in time for additional batting training in the afternoon so as not to interfere with LG's team training as much as possible.
Before and after batting training, he gives advice to LG players based on his experience in the Major League.
Choi Ji-man said in an interview with Yonhap News on the 19th (Korea Standard Time), "After leaving the Mets last year, I traveled with my family to recover my tired body and mind. And when I first went to the U.S. after returning home, I returned to my mind and performed batting lessons and strength training more perfectly than ever."
Choi Ji-man is the second-longest eight-season player after Choo Shin-soo (16 seasons) among Korean fielders in history.
As soon as he graduated from high school, he moved to the U.S. and improved his skills with a minor league team under the Seattle Mariners, and made his big league debut in 2016 for the Los Angeles Angels.
Choi Ji-man, who joined the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018 through the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers, showed his skills there.
Playing as a main first baseman, he showed a strong side in the postseason and helped the team advance to the World Series in 2020.
In addition, Choi Ji-man was loved by the club, teammates and fans for taking care of the team's atmosphere in Tampa Bay.
After going through the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres, Choi Ji-man signed with the Mets last year and tried to return to the big leagues.
However, he left the team in June last year, and since then, he has been training personally without joining a new team.
Choi Ji-man said, "It is most appropriate to say that I am currently at a crossroads. All Major League teams that contacted MLB in the offseason last year wanted split contracts, including minor contracts. I would be happy if I was young, but in the back of my mind, I wanted to play in front of Korean fans," he said.
"Even after retirement, I want to become a leader to cultivate junior players (in Korea) based on my major league experience," he said.
Choi Ji-man is agonizing between his KBO League debut and his entry into the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
He said, "We are putting weight on the plan to play in the KBO League and act as a leader."
After graduating from high school, Choi Ji-man, who immediately moved to the U.S. without any KBO league experience, has to go through a two-year grace period and a rookie draft after expressing his intention to return to play in the Korean professional baseball.
"If I want to play in Korea, I have to deal with military service issues. So if I go back to Korea, I will deal with military service issues that I promised to my fans," Choi said.
Choi Ji-man, who has consistently shown his affection for Korea while playing in MLB, was inflated by the hope of his first Taegeuk mark as he made the final entry of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in 2023.
However, his team Pittsburgh refused to send Choi Ji-man to the Korean national baseball team, citing elbow surgery and rehabilitation.
Choi Ji-man said, "I couldn't play for the national team for one reason or another, but if I can't play as a player, I want to wear the national flag on my chest even if I become a leader."
Choi Ji-man, the oldest Korean big leaguer, also wished good luck for his juniors playing on the U.S. stage.
Choi said to Kim Ha-sung, who joined Tampa Bay with many traces of himself, "I wonder if there's any advice you can give me. He has been so talented and diligent since we played together in San Diego. I believe he will do well wherever he goes."
"Lee Jung-hoo, Kim Hye-sung, and Bae Ji-hwan are all central and good players in Korean baseball. As a senior player, I am always reliable. I always root for my proud juniors, and only when they succeed, will Korean baseball be able to grow and show their competitiveness on the global stage," he added.
Even now, numerous players dream of a big league and start playing baseball. 안전놀이터
"First of all, you have to love and like baseball. That will lead to professional players and Major League players," Choi said. "If you really like baseball, you will work hard, and then you will definitely have a good path."