Major League Baseball has the greatest collection of talent of baseball players and Shin Soo Choo had a breakout week by being named the Bank of America Player of the Week for the American League. He is the first Korean position player to ever receive this honor. Damn!

Thanks to 11 hits in 19 at-bats through six games last week, Choo — considered by many to be one of the more underrated players in baseball, going into the season — is starting to get some recognition.

While the Indians went 4-2, Choo led the Majors with a .579 batting average, 11 RBIs, a 1.211 slugging percentage and a .680 on-base percentage, while his 23 total bases were tied for a big league best. He also added three home runs, five runs scored and three doubles last week.

Many of Choo’s biggest hits came in big moments.

In the eighth inning of Thursday’s game against the Rangers, the 27-year-old from South Korea hit a three-run homer that carried his club to a 3-2 victory. Two days later, he drove in the go-ahead run with an eighth-inning double that led to an Indians win over the White Sox. Then, in the series finale against Chicago on Sunday, Choo hit his second career grand slam — and fourth home run of the season — while driving in five in Cleveland’s 7-4 win.

After the game, Indians manager Manny Acta called Choo, who is batting .350 (14-for-40) this season, “a one-man wrecking crew.”

The Indians (6-6) have now won four straight, and Choo — he of a .300 batting average, 20 homers and 86 RBIs in 2009 — is riding a seven-game hitting streak.

“I feel like I played this way in Spring Training,” Choo, said after Sunday’s game. “I didn’t put pressure on myself [in the spring]. The first three or four games, I put pressure on myself. But I talked to some guys and the hitting coach [Jon Nunnally], and they told me not to worry too much. I’m trying to see the ball and hit the ball.”

Source: MLB.com

Shin Soo-Choo was selected for the Cleveland Indians’  Tribe’s Man of the Year award.  This honor is an individual award that is voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.  Pretty darn good because Shin Soo-Choo is a position player and not a pitcher, where many Asian players are usually slotted for on Major League Baseball teams.  His stats are pretty impressive for just his first year in the big leagues and hopefully he’ll get better.

The BBWAA selected Shin-Soo Choo as the Tribe’s Man of the Year for the consistent production he provided in the Indians lineup. Utility infielder Jamey Carroll, who is now a free agent, was saluted as the Frank Gibbons/Steve Olin Good Guy Award winner.

Choo is a first-time winner of the Man of the Year honor. He batted .300 with 20 homers, 38 doubles and 86 RBIs in his first full big league season.

Asdrubal Cabrera was the runner-up for the award in the BBWAA voting.

Carroll won the Good Guy Award for the leadership he provided in the Tribe clubhouse and his approachability and accessibility with the media, in good times and bad. Travis Hafner and Aaron Laffey were also nominated.

Source: MLB.com

Chan Ho Park made his first appearance at the World Series on Thursday night at Yankee stadium, pitching in relief for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was the first relief pitcher that the Phillies called on during this series. Unfortunately, he gave up a single with a man on 3rd base to extend the Yankees lead to 3-1. He’s got stuff so we know he’ll be back making another appearance on the big stage during this series.

Update:  Nice article about Chan Ho Park in the Philadelphia newspapers about how he’s on top of the world.  Chan Ho Park appeared to be on the downside of his career, not having had a chance to play in a World Series but he finally reached the ultimate game and the dream continues for him.

NO ONE IN the Phillies’ champagne-splashed locker room Wednesday night could have been happier to be dripping with bubbly than Chan Ho Park. Only 2 years ago, it appeared his baseball career was nearing its end. That year, he played in only one game with the Mets before he was sent down to Triple A New Orleans and later released. Houston then picked him up and assigned him to Triple A Round Rock, where he was an abysmal 2-10 with a 6.21 earned run average. On the wrong side of 30 by that point, he seemed to be just about finished.  For the full article at Philly.com, click here>

Pitcher Chan Ho Park of the Philadelphia Phillies became the second Korean player to reach the World Series in baseball. He made history over a decade ago by becoming the first Korean baseball player to ever play in the Major Leagues.  Ironically, the team he beat in the NLCS was the Dodgers; the team that he first played for in baseball.  He played for the Dodgers last year and lost to the Phillies in the playoffs.  Over the winter he was a free agent and at this point in his career, he decided to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.  And it wasn’t because the Phillies were willing to give him the most money.  His motivations were opportunities to become a starter and a chance to reach the World Series.  Well, he started the season as a starter but he was eventually relegated to the bullpen.  He played a significant part out of the bullpen during the playoffs – coming in at crucial times to keep the lead.  In the end, it was Chan Ho Park spraying the champagne on Wednesday night with the biggest smile on his face. Best of luck to Chan Ho Park and may he become the first Korean to win a World Series!  Go Phillies!

For a set of images that Philly.com archived of Chan Ho Park this past year, click here.

Update: Chan Ho Park was outstanding last night in game 1 of the NLCS playoffs.  He hasn’t played in a month because of a hamstring injury and he was thrown right into the fire in the 7th inning of the Dodgers and Phillies game, when he was asked to get into the game with a man on second and no outs.  He clocked in a fastball as fast as 97mph and got three straight outs, stranding Andre Ethier on second base.  No one scored on his watch.  When he came off the field, he was greeted by his Phillies’  teammates and he indicated that his heart was pounding when he was out there.

With the crowd of 56,000 waving their giveaway towels, Park got Manny Ramirez to ground out to third, struck out Matt Kemp on a fastball clocked at 97 mph and induced an inning-ending groundout from Casey Blake.

“That gun is not right. I’m old,” said Park, 36, who had not pitched since Sept. 16 because of a strained hamstring.

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Chan Ho Park has been activated for the NLCS baseball playoffs and he may see action against his former team the LA Dodgers.  He’s a middle inning relief pitcher for the defending world champions Philadelphia Phillies.   He was injured during the month of September and after a rehabbing for the past few weeks, he’s being thrust into the heat of the baseball playoffs.

Park said yesterday he felt healthy enough to return to the active roster.

“I’m ready,” said Park, who went 2-2 with a 2.52 ERA in 38 relief appearances during the regular season. “I’d be glad if I had more time to face hitters.”

Park spent the NLDS working out in Clearwater, Fla., where he threw two bullpen sessions.

“From everything that they say and the way that he was throwing the ball in Florida, he’s ready to go,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “He’s ready to pitch. They felt like he is 100 percent.”

The baseball season ended this week and it’s the start of the playoffs.  We can look back and say that the two most prominent Korean players in the Major Leagues made big contributions to their team.  Chan Ho Park was one of the most reliable relief pitchers for the defending World Series champions, the Philadelphia Phillies.  But now let’s pause and take a look at Shin Soo Choo because he became the first Asian player to become a 20-20 player: 20 home runs and 20 steals in the same season.  He actually finished with 20 homers and 21 steals.  There were only 11 other players who entered the 20-20 club.  The steals are a bit surprising because when you look at him, he doesn’t seem to be so nimble because he seems to lumber along, but I guess he’s pretty swift.

Choo ended the season hitting .300 (175-for-583) with 38 doubles, six triples, 20 homers and 86 RBI. The 20 homers and 86 RBI are team highs for the Cleveland Indians.  He said his goal for next year is to go 30-30.  Let’s hope so!

The Houston Astros signed an 18 year old baseball prospect from South Korea to a minor league contract.  Chan Jong Moon is a teenager who is still in high school but he left South Korea to begin his pursuit of playing in Major League Baseball.

“I had my mind set on the U.S., and that was it,” Moon said through interpreter Sun Ahn.

Moon, who will graduate from high school in Seoul in February, is an infielder who can play third base, shortstop and second base. He’s a left-handed contact hitter who has no shortage of energy. He possesses above-average speed.

Moon arrived in the U.S. for the first time Wednesday night with his parents and passed a physical Thursday. He will report to the Astros’ instructional league in Kissimmee, Fla., on Saturday.

Source: MLB.com

Shin-soo Choo is a major league baseball player a lot of pitchers would rather not face.  As the clean up batter on the Cleveland Indians, he was also a key component on the Korean national baseball team during the World Baseball Classic.  Below is an excerpt from an interview he did with Dong-A Ilbo.

Dong-A: Koreans such as Park Chan-ho, Kim Byung-hyun and Seo Jae-weung succeeded as pitchers in Major League Baseball, but you seem like the first to do so as a batter. What does it feel like to become a major batter in the majors?

Choo: I’m not satisfied with myself at the moment. I feel like I need to do more to prove such a reputation. This is only my first season as a full-time runner and the season has yet to end. I’m maintaining a good sense of batting but there’s no end in learning when it comes to baseball. I see new techniques coming out every day, and I have to get used to the balls thrown by new pitchers. You simply cannot survive with old techniques. You have to keep working. I tape my batting every day and analyze it to see whether I’m doing anything wrong.

Dong-A: You are the first Korean to be nominated for the Hank Aaron Award. How does that feel?

Choo: It’s nothing. It might be a big deal in Korea, but not in the United States. It’s an honor to be a nominee, but I know I’m not going to be the winner. There are so many other outstanding batters in the majors. Every team gets two to three nominees, so I’m just one of them.

Dong-A: What was your most difficult moment?

Choo: I had the hardest time in 2001 and 2002 when I first came to the United States after graduating high school in Korea. I had problems with communication and I was lonely because I had no friends. I can communicate well now, though my English might not be perfect.

Dong-A: Do you take English lessons?

Choo: I didn’t take any lessons but I learned by talking to other players. I had a dedicated interpreter for the first two years but not anymore.

Dong-A: Are you aware of your popularity among American fans?

Choo: Many American fans seemed to notice me after the second half of last year, when I began to bat well. We have individual mailboxes and mine is full of fan mail usually asking for my autograph. Unfortunately, I cannot reply to all of them.

Dong-A: What advice do you have for Korean players who wish to play in Major League Baseball?

Choo: I played with my Korean teammates in this year’s World Baseball Classic and the national team is one of the world’s best. Baseball itself is not much different between the two countries, but rather a matter of culture and style. It all boils down to how well Korean players can adapt to the style of American baseball, which is different from Korea’s. I might be doing well here in the States, but I might struggle in Korea. Any player who comes to America should be ready to start from scratch. Even if you were the best player in Korea, you have to swallow your pride.

Dong-A: You might still have to serve your mandatory military service as a Korean male. Is the Asian Games next year your last chance to get a draft exemption?

Choo: That’s a very tricky issue I’ve been discussing with the team, but I’ve not received any confirmation. I want to play in the Asian Games but I’d need permission from my current team.

Dong-A: You have a sticker of the Korean national flag on your bat. Why?

Choo: Many Americans do not know about Korea. I want to let them know more about my country. I had the sticker at the end of the bat since it is often captured on camera. These days, many fans come to the stadium with a picture of the flag.

Dong-A: How do you manage your health?

Choo: I try to sleep a lot, at least eight to nine hours a day. I can get rid of fatigue by sleeping. I also eat red ginseng jelly and juice every day. I even eat jelly in games as a snack. I used to sweat a lot, but after eating red ginseng, I began to sweat less and grew less tired.

Dong-A: What is your ultimate goal?

Choo: I first want to do my best in the United States. I want to be remembered as a long-time starter instead of doing well just for a couple of seasons and then disappearing. I still have a long way toward achieving that goal.

Pitcher Chan Ho Park was the first Korean-born Major League Baseball player when he first arrived in 1994 as a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  He’s 36 now and a lot has changed since he first arrived, and one of those things is his attitude towards the Korean fan base.  In this morning’s Philadelphia newspaper, there’s an interesting article about how Chan Ho Park has evolved his relationship with the Korean fans, and how he embraces them so much today.

“To be honest with you, I used to hate it when people would ask for autographs – again and again and again,” says Park, whose English has improved since he began playing in the United States. “Now, I want to meet as many people as I can. Because each person is special. I appreciate it more than I used to. Without the Korean people to support me, I know I would feel lonely and sick.”

Those young and impressionable days were difficult for Chan Ho Park.  It’s a story that many Korean immigrants can relate to who came here to study.  You’ve grown up in South Korea during your youth and then you’re whisked away to a foreign land and you find yourself not able to speak the language and you have to learn a new culture both personally and profesionally.

Unable to communicate with his teammates back then, Park found the adjustment hard. “Living here was like hell back then,” says Park, who added that in those early days he considered quitting and going back home. But he emerged as a fine pitcher for the Dodgers, and he began to better understand the American culture as the years passed, in part due to the help he received from members of Los Angeles’ Korean community. He remembers how they cooked him Korean food and helped him with his English. Says Park, who is now married and has a daughter: “My Korean friends taught me English, and I learned more about the culture from there. That was very helpful.”

What Chan Ho Park did in retrospect was to pave the way for future Korean-born players to enter Major League Baseball.   Someday he’ll look back and reflect on his glorious career, and hopefully he’ll have a  World Series ring with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Shin Soo-Choo, an outfielder for the Cleveland Indians, was picked as one of the top 100 baseball players today in Major League Baseball, this according to Joe Posnanski of CNN Sports Illustrated.  Joe ranks Shin Soo-Choo as the 68th best baseball player, which beats out Adam Dunn, Todd Helton, All-Star Brandon Inge, Jimmy Rollins, and a whole lot of other players.  Pretty impressive!

Hits with power (13 homers). Is a perfect 13-for-13 in steals. Gets on base (.393 OBP). Has a bazooka for an arm. And his name, Choo, is perfect for shouting at the ballpark.