Staff report
Former Cubs first baseman Hee Seop Choi (or Choi Hee-seop as he's known in his native Korea) credits a grueling seven-hour hike up and down a South Korean mountain with revitalizing his career, according to a story in the JoongAng Daily.
Choi, if you recall, was a hyped Cubs prospect who never panned out. He was the first Korean-born position player to break into the Major Leagues when he debuted with the Cubs in 2002 and became a minor cult favorite among Cubs fans who would often chant his three-syllable name.Probably best known for a scary collision with Kerry Wood in a 2003 game with the Yankees in which he was knocked unconscious and left the field in an ambulance, Choi was traded to the Marlins in the offseason for Derrek Lee. Choi returned to Korea to play for his hometown Kia Tigers in 2007 after bouncing around the minors for two years.
He struggled it the Korean league for two years until he found Mount
Seorak, which he credits for helping him lose 20 kilograms and turning
his career around.
Choi batted .308 and hit 33 home runs and drove in 100 runs, helping Kia to the 2009 Korean Series title.
"When
facing an opposing pitcher, I would think back to my first climb up
Mount Seorak last year," Choi told the paper. "I had a near-death experience on the mountain
and from that perspective, baseball was merely a game."
Read more at joongangangdaily.joins.com
Photo: Hee Seop Choi atop atop Daecheong Peak on Mount Seorak (Cho Young-chul/JoongAng Ilbo)
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Okay, in Hee Sop's defense, when he was knocked out during that Yankee game, he sufferred an extremely sever concussion. Not many players ever recover from this kind of head trauma. In football, it might be a little easier, but not by much, because the player has a helmet for some kind of protection. So, you can't really say "injury aside" because it was his "injury" that lead to his struggles.
He wasn't really in the spotlight because the Cubs has Kerry Wood and Mark Prior getting all of the media attention at that time.
He was actually on the rise as a hitter when this "injury" happened. He was always a very good first baseman.
I am glad that he didn't quit as a ballplayer. Whether it's the Cubs or Korea, it takes a lot of courage not to give up. And, whether it's Mount Seorak or Mount Prospect, it doesn't matter how big the mountain...if this gives him the insight and the opportunity to have a greater perspective on life, and helps him in his confidence as a ballplayer, then more power to him and pity the people who spend their lives, sitting on their behinds eating double stuffed lou malnati's pizza and downing a case of bud, wanting to tear this down.
Never criticize unless you can do better yourself.
Wow what did I do to you? Low blow but if that made you feel better about yourself I'm glad your happy. Tom
I climbed fat girl Annie one night in an out of mind experiance. My ears popped.
he is a great baseball player.
i think that mountains make his mind :)
he is great baseball player. I think that mountains make his mind :)
Could this hill climb be some more hype for the hyped Hee Seop?
Seriously Mount Seorak? Please… that hill is 5600ft I’ve climbed Longs Peak in Corado twice, I guess I should win the batting title. Do some research, that was a very weak article but hey I guess it is Dec. Thanks!
Glad to hear that See Sop Choi is doing well. Wish him the best.
CUB FANS: Remember, Choi was, in the eyes of the local press and Cub management, the teams new shining light.
Injury aside, he never made it with them or any other major league team.
Let's hope that this will not be the casae with the latest Cub "hot prospects", namely, SS Starlin Castro and Third Baseman Josh Vitters.
Another "media darling", of recent note, was the hype that stuck us with Kosuke Fukodome. This .249 lifteime batter and ten million dollar OF was to be another Ichiro Suzuki. He has turned out to be more in the class of the likes of Marvin Rickert, Galeyard Wade, Steve Bilko, Byron Brownand Danny Murphy and many others to numerous to mention from memory.
Great story, my uncle was able to meet with him while he was a local sponsor for the cubs in 2002-03, he said he had an uplifting personality. Great to hear he found the love of the game again!
Good for him. He always seemed like a good guy, and it's good to see he's found success. And who knows, maybe someday Choi for Lee will negate Brock for Broglio.
Great story, I wish we had more of this type of story. Life is negative no more, be a light!
At least someone from the Cub finally made it to the top of something. Now they should be set for another 102 years.