“I hope it will be ‘Unknown’ even if I turn back time.”
I want to say, ‘This player is really great’. This is SSG Choi Ji-hoon (26). In his third year as a pro, he rose to become the league’s top center fielder. He was also selected for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team. But he’s humble. He even told an amazing story.
Choi Ji-hoon, who graduated from the prestigious baseball Gwangju Ilgo, was not nominated by any team in the 2016 rookie draft. After that, he went to Dongguk University and was nominated by SK (now SSG) in the 3rd round of the 2020 rookie draft. He became a professional player of his dreams. It is said that he did not even expect to be picked in the third round.
From his first year, he played as a starter, appearing in 127 games. After that, grades continued to rise in 2021 and 2022. In the 2022 season, he played in all 144 games and had a batting average of 0.304, 10 homers, 61 RBIs, 31 stolen bases, and an OPS of 0.789. Based on this, he also made it to the WBC stage. He was omitted from the initial announcement, but was selected as a substitute when Choi Ji-man failed to participate.
Choi Ji-hoon, who we met at the Florida campsite, said, “I am in the best condition. He has been working out a lot in Korea. He is also in good shape. He cooks well and sleeps well. He has gained about 7 to 8 kg now. It is not an increase in body fat온라인바카라. My body seems well built,” he said.
Japan is also paying attention to Choi Ji-hoon. He said, “He is very patriotic, he is a mood maker. He will be a difficult existence,” there was a local report. Choi Ji-hoon said, “I saw it too. I have never expressed patriotism, but how did you know and write it? I’m on the patriotic side,” he laughed.
He continued, “I think it is an article that can give me confidence. To be honest, I only watched the national team game on TV, but I never imagined what I would do. The opportunity came sooner than expected. It’s hard to make a plan with specific ‘what to do’. I will play well depending on the game situation.”
The national team is also an opportunity for Choi Ji-hoon. There is nothing wrong with SSG. Director Kim Won-hyeong also encouraged him, saying, “Learn a lot and come back.” Choi Ji-hoon has a similar idea. But the texture is slightly different. “We have to show a play worthy of the Taegeuk mark. It will be a good experience. You will learn a lot. But I am also a player representing my country. Rather than learning, I will go with the thought of winning.”
There are also people next to me who ‘relax my shoulders’. This is Kangmin Kim. “(Kim) Kang-min said, ‘Do what you used to do. After all, the person who will save the country has been decided. If you do it comfortably, you will do well.” I said it like a joke, but it was really fun. I will work hard,” he laughed. The reporters also burst into ‘bread’.
A player who was not selected in high school came to the pro after graduating from college. He quickly established himself as a national representative. When it comes to center field defense, we discuss the best in the league. He was motivated by not being nominated in high school. That moment made Choi Ji-hoon now.
Choi Ji-hoon said, “It was a dream to become a professional player, and he made his dream come true. My final goal is to play like a pro and retire. I think it’s good that I wasn’t nominated in high school. Rather, it became a medicine and a driving force. He wants to be unknown even if he goes back. It motivates me to work harder.”