KIA Tigers' eldest brother Choi Hyung-woo (42) still boasts the best skills in the league. Now, he can hardly afford to play both defense and outfield, but he still plays the bat coolly. Last year, when he was 41-year-old, his batting average dropped slightly to 0.280 (119 hits in 425 times at bat), but he still displayed destructive power by hitting 22 home runs and 109 RBIs. Na Sung-bum (36), who injured his hamstring, shared the burden of playing in the left field when his defense was too difficult. This skill is hard to mention "last" of all players.
Players who have peaked in the KBO League also use Choi as their role model. For example, Yang Eui-ji (38), the home turf of the Doosan Bears, is the representative catcher of Korea, which earned a total of 27.7 billion won (25.7 million U.S. dollars) over 10 years by applying for free agency twice. Even Yang is envious of Choi, who lives a long life as a baseball player.
When Choi successfully signed a multi-year contract with KIA last year, Yang said, "I think I was treated for granted because (Choi) was good. Except for (B) Sung-bum, I think no player in KIA can play better than Hyung-woo. That's why I made a bet with him. We are close. Who do you think will play baseball longer between me and him?"스포츠토토
Choi is a rising star player. After graduating from Jeonju High School, he joined the Samsung Lions in the second round of the rookie draft in 2002, when he was a catcher. He was released in 2005 after playing in six games in the first division, and reached a turning point in his baseball career when he joined the police baseball team that was founded in the same year. He turned out to an outfielder and focused more on batting, and became a seven-time hitting champion in the northern league of the Futures League in 2007. Immediately after being discharged from the military, Choi rejoined the Samsung Lions, and since then, he has been on the verge of success.
Choi first became a free agent after finishing the 2016 season. Kia awarded a four-year, 10 billion won contract to Choi, who will turn 34 in 2017. It was an agreement that opened the era of 10 billion won in free agency. In the first year of his contract, Choi played 142 games with a batting average of 0.342 (176 hits in 514 times at bat), 26 homers and 120 RBIs, leading the team to an overall championship. Having already paid for his meal by winning the title in the first year of his transfer, Choi has exceeded the batting average of 300 every year, and posted 25 homers and 100 RBIs or more in three seasons except 2019. He proved himself as a veteran by winning the title with a batting average of 0.354 in 2020.
As a result, Choi was able to successfully complete his second FA contract with Kia. Ahead of the 2021 season when he will turn 38 years old, he re-qualified as a free agent and stayed at Kia for a total of 3.7 billion won (3.7 million U.S. dollars) for three years. It was small compared to his first contract, but it was understandable considering Choi's age. Still boasting competitive edge as an irreplaceable player at Kia, three years later, Choi successfully signed a non-FA multi-year contract worth 2.2 billion won (1 million dollars) per year at the age of 41. It was the oldest non-FA multi-year contract ever.
Choi was able to extend his contract until this year only when he met the option of the previous season. Having served as the center hitter with 20 homers and 100 RBIs last year, Choi lifted his second championship trophy at Kia and successfully extended his contract until this year. With the one-year contract extended, Choi achieved a great feat of earning a total of 15.9 billion won (14.7 million U.S. dollars) for nine years in multi-year contracts with free agents after he was 34.
Kia is preparing to lift the trophy once again this year with Choi. Although it is too early to be certain whether it will be able to be with Choi next year, if Choi gives as much hit as last year, it will not be unreasonable for him to prolong his career as a player. Kia also cannot overlook its tremendous self-management skills and leadership among its juniors.
During his individual training trip to Guam early this month, Choi took his junior teammates Lee Woo-sung (31), Choi Won-joon (28), and Samsung infielder Ryu Ji-hyuk (31). Choi will cover all the expenses for staying and training. On the contrary, Choi didn't even brag about it, saying, "It is natural for younger players to help him with his training."
On and off the ground, Choi still shows tremendous presence. Retirement still seems to be a long way off for Choi, who has turned 42 years old.