Choo Shin-soo, 42, who retired from SSG Landers after this season, will immediately make a fresh start at the front desk of SSG. He seems to be drawing a path to becoming a leader in the future, starting with the front desk, not the coaching staff.안전놀이터
"Choo Shin-soo will be in charge of the front office of the club next season," an SSG club official said on the 26th. The exact position has not yet been decided, and the club and Choo Shin-soo have exchanged various opinions so far, and the position will be decided soon.
Choo Shin-soo announced his retirement plan before the opening of this season, and the SSG club has been coordinating step by step so that Choo Shin-soo's capabilities can be realized even after retirement.
At a press conference to mark his retirement in November, Choo Shin-soo said, "I'm very tired both physically and mentally. It hasn't been long since I finished baseball, so I'm going to take a break and think about it slowly," and mentioned his future course of action. In addition, he said, "There are many suggestions coming in, but for now, it's important that I do well on the spot. I have to think about what position I'm ready enough to go to."
Choo had a batting average of 275 (1,671 hits in 6,087 at-bats) of 218 home runs, 782 RBIs, 961 runs, 157 steals and an OPS of .824. He played in Seattle (2001-2006), Cleveland (2006-2012), Cincinnati (2013) and Texas (2014-2020) as a Korean big leaguer for 16 seasons.
He signed a contract with SSG in 2021 and played for four seasons in the KBO League, batting average of 263 (396 hits in 1505) in 439 games with 54 homers, 205 RBIs, 266 runs, 51 steals, OPS. He contributed to the overall championship in 2022 and retired after this season.
Choo Shin-soo, who played in the U.S. Major League Baseball and the Korean KBO League, is expected to transfer his know-how to team management and start his second life with his abundant experience. It is the first step toward helping players focus only on baseball and improve their performance, ultimately as a leader in the future.
At the retirement press conference, Choo said, "Will I be able to do a good job?" and added, "I have so many things to carry. This is a place where people are evaluated in every aspect. I don't think it is easy to sit in such a position. Since I am not ready, I do not think I will do it even if such a proposal (from the coach) comes." "If I want to do something, I have to be ready and passionate," he said. "Preparation comes first. After starting the front desk, I will be able to play with the coaching staff as well.
Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop retired after playing for the Samsung Lions until 2017. After his retirement, he did not take leadership classes and spent time as an honorary ambassador and baseball commentator for the KBO. He had no experience as a manager for the "strongest baseball" baseball variety show, but immediately took the helm of Doosan in 2023. After his retirement, he spent six years as a manager.
Lee Dae-ho, a friend of Choo's, has retired from the Lotte Giants until 2022. Since his retirement, he has mainly engaged in broadcasting activities including the "strongest baseball league" since his retirement. Attention is focusing on how many years it has been for Choo to start anew as the team's front desk right after his retirement.