Former MLB All-Star Shin-Soo Choo announces retirement, ends 20-Year pro baseball journey in MLB and KBO

It is the end of the road for former Texas Rangers slugger Shin-Soo Choo, who has announced his retirement from professional baseball. The 42-year-old from Busan, South Korea, enjoyed a stellar career in both the MLB and KBO.

The former outfielder spent 16 seasons in the MLB before returning to South Korea for his final four seasons.

While he may not exactly be a household name for some younger fans, Shin-Soo Choo had both an impactful and trailblazing career in the MLB. After originally signing with the Seattle Mariners in 2000, Choo would finally make his MLB debut in 2005.

However, his stint with the club would only last 14 games before being dealt to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for Ben Broussard.

The trade would backfire massively for Seattle as Choo quickly became a force at the plate for Cleveland. Although Shin-Soo Choo would not appear in a playoff game for Cleveland, the Korean slugger enjoyed some of the best seasons of his career.

He racked up 83 home runs, 372 RBIs, and maintaining a .292 batting average over his seven seasons with the club.

Following his Cleveland tenure, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in a deal that saw polarizing pitcher Trevor Bauer sent the other way. Although he only played one season with the Reds, he made history with the club.

Choo became the first South Korean baseball player to hit a home run in the postseason, cementing himself as a legend in his home country.

This was not the first time that Choo made history. After joining the Texas Rangers on a massive seven-year, $130 million deal, Shin-Soo Choo had etched his name in the history books. On July 21, 2015, the Rangers slugger became the first Asian player in MLB history to hit for the cycle.

While he may never have been able to win the World Series, his impact in the MLB, especially for Asian-born players, will be one that lives on forever.

A true professional, Choo sits second all-time in home runs hit by Asian players, as Shohei Ohtani broke that record this season. Choo finished his MLB career with a .275 batting average with 218 home runs and 782 RBIs.

Shin-Soo Choo made significant donation to minor league players during COVID-19 pandemic

While Choo was a beloved professional on the field, the same could be said for his character off it. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the All-Star slugger took it upon himself to donate $1000 to each of the 190 minor league player in the Texas Rangers farm system.

As a result of the pandemic delaying the season, the financial hardship was dramatically felt by minor league players who were already struggling with their salaries.

The help from Choo was massive, especially in comparison to Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher, who wanted to stop payments to minor leaguers altogether. Choo was simply a class act throughout his entire career.