“Records? Choi Hyung-woo will break them all.”
The oldest active KBO player is SSG Landers’ Choo Shin-soo. Born in 1982, he held the title of the league’s oldest player until the 2023 season, when he decided to play his final season this year. There are other players who were born in 1982. The “Fast 83” players are also in the mix. However, Choo Shin-soo has the earliest birthday. He was born on July 13, two days earlier than Oh Seung-hwan (Samsung), whose birthday is July 15. Kim Kang-min was born on September 13.
Shin-soo Choo hit the league’s first home run in the opening game of the 2023 season, making him the oldest player ever to hit the first home run. 토토사이트 As the oldest hitter in baseball, every time he breaks a record, it’s labeled “oldest.” This year, his final season, he’ll try to break a number of records.
But Choo shook his head. “I don’t really think about the oldest batting record or anything like that. Those records will be broken one day, and probably Choi Hyung-woo will break them all,” he laughs. Although Choo has only met Choi as an opponent, he hasn’t lost sight of his junior. “He’s a year younger and on the opposite team, but he’s amazing. He’s still very good. He seems to have taken good care of his body, and it’s good to see him doing that last year. If such players do well, other juniors will have more time and opportunities to play baseball,” he praised.
Choi proved his worth again with a contract.
The KIA Tigers officially announced the signing of Choi Hyung-woo to a multi-year contract on May 5. The deal is for 1+1 years and up to 2.2 billion won. For a player who is over 40 years old, Choi Hyung-woo, who is 41 years old this year, has agreed to an incredible deal of 1 billion won per year. At the same time, he earned the title of the oldest non-free agent multi-year contract in the KBO. KIA recognized his current value, and now all he has to do is prove on the field that he’s not rusty in his 40s.
Just a decade ago, a player in his mid-30s was considered an “old man. Players who stayed active into their 40s were extremely rare. But now, players are living longer. It’s not uncommon to see players in their 40s, and many of them are still able to compete with their younger counterparts.
The players’ changed perceptions and thorough self-care are contributing to their longevity. “To play baseball for a long time, you have to take care of your body first. I used to train a lot when I was younger, but when I was about 38, I couldn’t do it anymore. 토토사이트 추천 You have to give your body time to recover, and you have to talk a lot about your body. I think you become more sensitive to it,” he said.
Players in their 40s are in their prime. This is the new viewing point of the KBO in the 2024 season.