During the Lunar New Year holiday, the baseball world was overturned by Choo Shin-soo’s words.

On the 21st (local time), Choo Shin-soo appeared on a Korean radio in Dallas, USA, and made a statement about the selection of the Korean baseball team. 스포츠토토

He first mentioned the generational change of the national team.

Choo Shin-soo said, “If you look at Japan alone, there are a lot of new faces when you play international competitions. Kim Hyun-soo (35, LG) is a really good player, but I think I would have seen the future. “There should have been more players who should have been recruited,” he said. “How long will Kim Gwang-hyun (34, SSG) and Yang Hyeon-jong (34, KIA)? It’s not that these players lack skills. Among young players, there are an enormous number of talented players. The emotions and mindset itself are different. It is the job of Korean baseball to create opportunities to go abroad and things to do in Korean baseball after returning,” he said, referring to Moon Dong-ju (19, Hanwha) and Ahn Woo-jin (24, Kiwoom).

Regarding An Woo-jin’s controversy over school violence, Choo Shin-soo said, “As a third party, it’s very unfortunate to see only what is heard and seen. He is a player with the talent to become a good player next to Park Chan-ho, and I am also playing baseball in Korea, but there are too many things I do not understand. Korea It seems that it is not easy to forgive. If you did it when you were young, you would have repented of your mistakes, been punished, and even received a suspension, but you will not be able to participate in international competitions. I go out. If my juniors are exercising in the wrong place, I have to speak out and try to help, but I only watch,” he criticized intensely.

On the 4th, the KBO announced the final 30 players for the WBC national team. There was no 2022 Golden Globe winner Ahn Woo-jin. Cho Bum-hyun, chairman of the KBO Technical Committee, explained the unresolved issue of school violence as the reason for the exclusion, saying, “When selecting players, we considered various things such as the symbolic meaning of the national team, pride, and responsibility.”

Regardless of whether Shin-soo Choo’s intention or opinion is right or wrong, the timing is wrong. Apart from the positional suitability of being an active KBO player, if he dared to say something, he should have done it before the national team player selection or after the tournament.

When the WBC entered the countdown. After joint training in Arizona, USA in February, the Korean national team will play the first round at Tokyo Dome, Japan, starting with Australia on March 9th.

The national team players are determined to show off the potential of Korean baseball. Choo Shin-soo’s words made both the veteran players who were selected and the young players who were not selected in a difficult situation. For some players, it can be a bit of a stretch. It is unclear whether this comment is helpful to Ahn Woo-jin, who has already been eliminated. This is because it has once again ignited the controversy over the issue of school violence, which has been fading away.

However, with less than 50 days left until the tournament, it is impossible to completely change the national team. If it was a statement for the future of Korean baseball, it would not be too late after the tournament.

Sometimes the timing is more important than the content of the words. Shin-soo Choo’s remarks this time were like that. Words cannot be picked up. That left me with more regret.