CHOO, SHIN-SOO  
 
Image of    Nickname:   N/A Position:   RF
Home: Goodyear, Arizona Team:   INDIANS
Height: 5' 11" Bats:   L
Weight: 210 Throws:   L
DOB: 7/30/1982 Agent: Scott Boras
Birth City: Pusan, South Korea Draft: 2000 - Mariners - Free agent - Out of So. Korea
Uniform #: 17  
 
YR LEA TEAM SAL(K) G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO OBP SLG AVG
2001 AZL Mariners   51 199 51 60 10 10 4 35 12   34 49     .302
2001 MWL WISCONSIN   3 13 1 6 0 0 0 3 2   1 3     .462
2002 MWL WISCONSIN   119 420 69 127 24 8 6 48 34   70 98     .302
2002 CAL SAN BERNARDINO   11 39 14 12 5 1 1 9 3   9 9     .308
2003 CAL INLAND EMPIRE   110 412 62 118 18 13 9 55 18   44 84     .286
2004 TL SAN ANTONIO   132 517 89 163 17 7 15 84 40   56 97     .315
2005 PCL TACOMA   115 429 73 121 21 5 11 54 20   69 97     .282
2005 Al MARINERS $316.00 10 18 1 1 0 0 0 1 0   3 4     .056
2006 PCL TACOMA   94 375 71 121 21 3 13 48 26 4 45 73 .394 .499 .323
2006 AL MARINERS   4 11 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 .167 .182 .091
2006 AL INDIANS   4 11 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 .167 .182 .091
2007 IL BUFFALO BISONS   59 208 34 54 11 2 3 26 10 3 21 40 .328 .375 .260
2007 AL INDIANS   6 17 5 5 0 0 0 5 0 1 2 5 .350 .294 .294
2008 IL BUFFALO   12 42 1 11 2 0 1 3 1 3 5 14   .381 .262
2008 AL INDIANS $390.00 94 317 68 98 28 3 14 66 4 3 44 78 .397 .549 .309
2009 AL INDIANS $420.00 156 583 87 175 38 6 20 86 21 2 78 151 .394 .489 .300
2010 EL AKRON   3 11 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 .091 .091 .091
2010 AL INDIANS $461.00 118 456 65 134 27 2 16 68 16 5 65 92 .391 .467 .294
2010 EL AKRON   3 11 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 .091 .091 .091
2010 AL INDIANS $461.00 120 462 66 136 28 2 16 69 17 5 66 93 .392 .468 .294
2010 EL AKRON   3 11 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 .091 .091 .091
2010 AL INDIANS $461.00 121 467 66 137 28 2 16 70 18 5 66 94 .390 .465 .293
2010 EL AKRON   3 11 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 .091 .091 .091
2010 AL INDIANS $461.00 122 471 66 138 28 2 16 71 18 5 66 95 .389 .463 .293
PERSONAL:

  • Shin-Soo didn't graduate from Pusan High School in South Korea until February 2001, though the Mariners signed him in August of 2000. He was a legitimate two-way player, capable of both hitting and pitching. He can throw 95 mph, and was named the best pitcher in 1999 and 2000 at the President's Cup—Korea's top high school competition. He also hit .610 with 5 home runs.

  • Shin-Soo is an exciting player to watch. He works hard, and has adapted well to the American culture. "What I like about America is that all the best players from the world come here to compete, so being involved in that makes me happy," Choo said.

    In 2002, Wisconsin manager Gary Thurman said Choo was just one of the guys. "He’s a great guy," said Thurman, in his third year as Timber Rattlers skipper. "He knows enough English to get him by, and he has fun. He laughs with all the boys, and he takes everything in stride."
  • Choo plays with a lot of poise and confidence.

  • Before the 2004 season, Baseball America rated Choo as the 5th-best prospect in the Mariners organization.

    Before 2006 spring training, the magazine had Shin-Soo as #7 in the Seattle farm system.

  • For the 2004 season, Shin-Soo ranked in the top four in six of the Texas League's offensive categories.

  • After the 2004 season, Choo did well in the Arizona Fall League with a .301 batting average, three home runs, and 15 RBIs in 23 games.

  • As of 2009, Shin-Soo still owes the South Korean military two years of service. He has a chance to gain an exemption if he plays in the Olympics or Asian games, depending on how South Korea performs. The World Baseball Classic does not count toward his exemption.

    •  
    "I worry about my military obligation, but it's secondary on my mind," said Choo.

  • Choo has a home in Jnamgu Pusan, South Korea. In 2008, he purchased a home seven miles from the Indians' new spring training site in Goodyear, Arizona. In the off-season before 2009 spring training, he trained there four days a week.

  • July 3, 2009: Shin-Soo became the first Indian since Al Rosen in 1952 to have at least four runs and seven RBI, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Choo went 4-for-5 with two homers, four runs and seven RBI in a 15-3 victory over the A's. Rosen scored four and drove in seven April 29, 1952.

    Choo is the third Major Leaguer since 1945 to notch four runs, seven RBI, and one steal in the same game, joining Pittsburgh's Willie Stargell (May 1968 at the Cubs) and Boston's Ted Williams (June 1949 vs. St. Louis).

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  • On September 5, 2009: Shin-Soo's wife, Woon Mi, gave birth to their second child, Aiden.

    TRANSACTION REPORT

  • August 2000: The Mariners signed Shin-Soo. The Mariners outbid several teams to sign Choo to a contract believed to be $1.34 million. Jae Lee and Jim Colborn were the scouts who signed him.

  • July 26, 2006: The Indians sent OF Ben Broussard to the Mariners, acquiring Choo and P Shawn Nottingham.
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    BATTING:

    • Choo is the best five-tool prospect to come out of Korea. He is a fine hitter for both average and decent power, smacking line drives with a solid batting strike.

    • Pitchers can sometimes get him out by pounding him inside. But he has learned to stay inside the ball well.

    • The Mariners would like to see Shin-Soo be more aggressive with pitches in the strike zone. He can be a tad too passive at the plate. But he has a good eye.

    • He has fine bat speed and excellent leverage, but Choo probably won't hit more than 20 or 25 home runs per year, at the most. Some say his inside-out swing will only allow him to hit 10-15 homers per season. When he tries to hit for more power, he gets too pull-conscious.
  • Mariners coordinator of minor league instruction, Mike Goff, says, "He generates some serious torque. With the torque he generates through his hips, he kind of reminds me of Ken Griffey. He’s a natural hitter. The best thing you can do with a hitter like him is leave him alone and let him hit–don’t try to mess with his swing."

  • Choo is working on some things. He is a line-drive hitter, but comes open on his swing and needs to cover the plate a little better.

  • In 2009, Shin-Soo became the first Asian player to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in one season in MLB history.

    BREAKDOWN VS. LEFTIES AND RIGHTIES

  • In 2008, the lefty hitting Shin-Soo hit .286 with 3 home runs in 77 at-bats vs. lefties. And .317 with 11 home runs in 240 at-bats vs. righthanded pitchers.

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  • In 2009, Choo hit lefthanded pitchers for a .275 average with 6 home runs in 182 at-bats. He pounded righthanders for a .312 average with 14 homers in 401 at-bats.

  • As of the start of the 2010 season, Choo had a career batting average of .296 with 27 home runs in 1,092 at-bats in the Major Leagues.
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    FIELDING:

    • Shin-Soo has a truly great arm, and since he also has good range, he is a fine center fielder. But, all things considered, he is probably best in right field with that cannon for an arm.

    • Choo displays good instincts in the outfield, but he could stand a little more improvement in his jumps and routes to the ball.

      In 2009, he had trouble with fly balls in the sun during day games. So in 2010 spring training, Grady Sizemore had Choo use flip down sunglasses. They made the sun look a lot smaller, helping a whole lot.

    • As a pitcher, he threw 95 mph. So his arm is a good one. But his accuracy needs to get better.
     
     
    RUNNING:

    • Choo is very speedy. He runs well and exhibits the instincts to steal bases.
     
    CAREER INJURY REPORT:

    • July 2003: Shin-Soo broke a bone in his right foot while sliding into second base. He missed three weeks of action.

    • June–August 2007: Choo went on the D.L. the second week of June. with a strained elbow ligament. He returned to action the second week of August.

      But on September 25, 2007, Shin-Soo underwent Tommy John surgery by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles. Choo's ligament damage is probably traced to his days as a pitcher for the junior national team in South Korea. He recalled once pitching 44 innings during a stretch of five games in seven days.

    • March 22–May 30, 2008: Shin-Soo began the season on the D.L. while still recovering from the Tommy John surgery.

    • July 3-23, 2010: Choo severely sprained his thumb diving for Jack Cust's one-out double in the eighth inning of a 3-0 loss to the Athletics. He underwent an MRI exam on the thumb and went on the D.L.
     
     
     
    Last Updated 9/8/2010. All contents © 2000 by Player Profiles. All rights reserved.