Choo Shin-soo: "Two-week salary of $70... Newlywed life with three minor league teammates"[What's the point of keeping it?][★Night TView]

*This content was translated by AI.

Former Major Leaguer Choo Shin-soo recalled his difficult days in the minor leagues and the moment he was called up to the majors.

On the third, Choo Shin-soo appeared on the tvN STORY variety program "What's the point of keeping it?" and reminisced about the hardships he faced before joining the Major Leagues.

That day, Park Se-ri asked, "Wasn't life in the minor leagues not very comfortable?" Choo Shin-soo replied, "We received our salaries every two weeks, and mine was only $70," leaving everyone surprised.

Park Se-ri then said, "You had a family to support and were starting your newlywed life, so it must have been tough." Choo Shin-soo responded, "I couldn't live alone. Three foreign players lived with me."

Choo Shin-soo added, "If we rented a room, we paid more; if we shared the living room, we paid less. Since I had a wife, I needed to rent a room and ended up paying more. We lived like that for four years," recalling those days.

He also said, "When the team went on road trips, they gave us $20 per day for meals. On an eight-day trip, we received $160, but I saved over $100 and brought it home."

He explained, "We ate hotel breakfasts, had bread and jam for lunch at the baseball field, and bought a $3 pepperoni pizza for dinner, which we shared not for two or three days, but for four. By saving money, I could send living expenses to my wife, buy toys, and purchase diapers."

Upon hearing this, Lee Young-ja expressed sympathy, asking, "How could you exercise without proper food?" Choo Shin-soo calmly replied, "I suppose I was able to do that because I was young."

He continued, "Many people talk about my 16 years in the Major Leagues, but the hardest seven years of my life were spent in the minor leagues. Even if my 16-year major league career had been guaranteed, I would never be able to do it again. I don't want to go through that ever again," he confessed.

Later, Choo Shin-soo also revealed the unforgettable moment of his call-up to the Major Leagues. He said, "I was taking a shower when someone kept knocking on the door. I went out wrapped only in a towel, and the manager told me, 'You've been called up. Go quickly.' After the manager left, my wife and I hugged each other and cried," he recalled.

He added, "At that time, even after taxes were deducted, I received $1,000 a day. Everything changed, from food to treatment. The environment was fully set up so I could focus solely on baseball," conveying the thrill of joining the Major Leagues.

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*This content was translated by AI.