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| The match between SSG Landers and the NC Dinos at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 13th. SSG Choi Jeong cheers after hitting a two-run shot against NC starter Riley in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs and runners on first base. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.05.13/ |
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"I regret a lot now."
Choi Jung, the SSG Landers who reached 500 home runs for the first time in professional baseball history. He is a remarkable hitter who ranks at the top of most major batting records, with the most hits (2278 hits), the second place with the most RBIs (71 RBIs), and the first place with the most runs (1468 runs). It is a great record that was created by the accumulation of one at-bat and one game. It is also a history of glory that he achieved because he had accumulated good performance faithfully and consistently for over 20 years since his debut as a high school graduate in 2005.
However, Choi Jeong is embarrassed whenever there is a story about her career record. There's only one thing that bothers him about having a tremendous career. It is 'Expand abroad' Choi Jung-eun "I think I was able to achieve it because I didn't go overseas." Players who had a gap due to their overseas expansion are bound to suffer some damage in the KBO's career record. This means that the cumulative statistics of record competitors are inevitably lower than those of themselves.
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| The match between SSG Landers and the NC Dinos at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 13th. SSG Choi Jeong cheers after hitting a two-run shot against NC starter Riley in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs and runners on first base. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.05.13/ |
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Choi Jung-eun did not go overseas and played as the top hitter in the KBO League. In fact, it is rare that among hitters with the best skills, there are few players who have not tried to advance overseas or advance at all. In the past, there were few cases in which players from the KBO League advanced to the Major League. There were some challengers, but they stopped at the level of challenge and Ryu finally opened the door. This is the case where the league's top player went straight to the Major League through the posting system. Ryu Hyun-jin, who was born in 1986, is in the same class as Choi Jeong, who was born in 1987 at the earliest.
After Ryu Hyun-jin, there was a craze. Among the hitters, Kang Jung-ho, born in 1987, and Park Byung-ho, born in 1986, opened the door. Both played for the Heroes and signed with Major League Baseball teams through the posting system after performing well in the league. Since then, Hwang Jae-gyun, who was born in 1987, has also entered the Major League. Although it did not lead to advancement, Son Ah-seop, Kim Jae-hwan, and Na Sung-beom knocked on the U.S. door. Now, Lee Jung-hoo and Kim Hye-sung are confidently challenging themselves on the major league stage as KBO league hitters.
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| The match between SSG Landers and the NC Dinos at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 13th. SSG Choi Jeong cheers after hitting a two-run shot against NC starter Riley in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs and runners on first base. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.05.13/ |
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Among the players who are senior to Choi Jung, a representative example is Lee Seung-yeop who is the "Lion King". Lee headed to Japan, not the Major League, and played eight seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Lee Dae-ho also retired after playing in the Major League for one season after playing in Japan and returning to Korea.
There will also be a difference in records depending on whether Choi Jung mentioned overseas. Representatively, in the case of Lee Seung-yeop, Choi Jung broke Lee Seung-yeop's record of 467 home runs last year and set a new record, but he has 626 home runs in terms of his career record between Korea and Japan. Of course, considering the difference in the level of the league, the gap may be wider. Park Byung-ho, the second-largest active player and the third-highest record in his career, had 412 home runs in the KBO, but he hit 12 home runs in his season in the Major League. Not only home runs, but also other records such as RBIs, hits, and batting average are bound to differ slightly.
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| The match between SSG Landers and the NC Dinos at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 13th. SSG Choi Jeong cheers after hitting a two-run shot against NC starter Riley in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs and runners on first base. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.05.13/ |
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Above all, Choi Jung himself is now regretting that he has not been able to challenge overseas expansion. In an interview after hitting his 500th home run against the Incheon NC Dinos on the 13th, Choi Jung-eun will regret that he did not advance overseas. I had a chance, but I thought it was too big a wall then. At that time, Korean fielders rarely played in the major leagues. It was like nothing else. I tried to go, but I couldn't because of various problems. I regret a lot now. Now, many people are trying to go abroad, and it's really cool. If I was young, I wanted to run there a lot."
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| The match between SSG Landers and NC Dinos at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 13th. SSG Choi Jung poses with Kim Kwang-hyun after hitting a two-run shot against NC starter Riley in the bottom of the sixth inning. Incheon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.05.13/ |
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Now, using the seniors of the past as a stepping stone, juniors can easily be treated and challenged in the major leagues if they have skills, but more than 10 years ago, when Choi Jung was in his 20s, it was seen as a challenge close to 'Mumo'. Choi's tendency to focus on batting research in a stable environment rather than a major change was also one of the reasons for hesitation.
However, that doesn't mean that Choi Jung's milestone will be less valuable. Since his professional debut, he has never been a main player since his second year, and he has never been pushed back in the competition with anyone. Even at this point in time when he is approaching 40, the fact that he is still the top hitter in the league is even greater. Choi Jeong's watch flows slower than other legendary players who have advanced overseas. I think it is okay to take great pride in the milestone built as a pure domestic wave.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
