Left-handed pitcher Choo Chan (36-Lotte Giants), who has been a fixture in the KBO, will finally hang up his uniform.
“Chau-chan has decided to retire,” the Lotte team announced on Sunday, saying, “He prepared hard from spring training to the season with the idea that this year would be his last, but his body and condition did not keep up, so he decided to retire.”
A native of Gunsan Namjung-Gunsan Sango, Chau-chan was selected by the Samsung Lions with the seventh overall pick in the second round of the 2006 Korean Baseball Entry Draft.
A left-handed pitcher for the ages… hampered by a shoulder injury
His fastball was a weakness in his early career, but he made up for it by serving as a relief pitcher for three years. In 2010, he began to fulfill his potential as a starting pitcher for Samsung, going 10-2 with a 2.14 ERA.
After winning championships as part of the Samsung dynasty, Chowchan hit the “jackpot” when he became a free agent after the 2016 season and signed a four-year, 9.5 billion won contract with the LG Twins.
After living up to his billing by leading the LG mound to three consecutive double-digit win seasons, Chow Chan signed a second free-agent contract with LG ahead of the 2021 season for a total of two years and KRW 2 billion.
After a shoulder injury kept him off the mound for a while, Chau-chan made a difficult comeback in June 2021, pitching well above average and earning a spot in the Tokyo Olympics as a veteran to guide the young pitchers.
However, competing in the Olympics proved to be “poison” for his shoulder. He re-injured it again and underwent surgery in September 2021, and was released by LG after rehabilitation.
The national team… A 16-year comeback
Despite having accomplished so much as a baseball player, Chow-chan did not choose to retire. He signed a contract with Lotte ahead of this season for an annual salary of 50 million won, hoping to make one last run.메이저놀이터
However, the aftermath of his injuries did not allow him to recover, and he never made it to the first team, bringing an end to his 16-year professional career. On June 10, Chau-chan’s last official game was against SSG Landers in the Futures League (second division).
With a heavy fastball and sharp slider as his main weapons, Chowchan compiled a career record of 112-79-1 with 32 saves in the first team. In 1,668.2 innings pitched, he posted a 4.51 ERA.
He also had a stellar international career, competing in the 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC), 2014 Incheon Asian Games, 2015 Premier 12, 2017 WBC, 2019 Premier 12, and 2021 Tokyo Olympics.