*This content was translated by AI.
Choo Shin-soo (43, current SSG Landers owner assistant and fostering general manager), the first Korean to be nominated for the Major League Hall of Fame, failed to enter, but he set a new milestone of winning the first Korean vote. Although he failed to enter the hall of fame because he failed to overcome the 5% lower limit of the re-challenge, he left a meaningful mark as a Hall of Fame vote that even "Korean Express" Park Chan-ho (53) has not been to.
The American Baseball Journalists Association (BBWAA) officially announced the results of the 2026 Hall of Fame vote on its official channel on the 21st (Korea Standard Time). According to the data, Choo Shin-soo, who became a candidate for the first time in the poll, won three out of a total of 425 votes, winning 0.7 percent of the vote.
This result has symbolic significance in the history of Korean baseball. Even "Korean Express" Park Chan-ho, who won 124 games in the major leagues, failed to pass the candidate screening at the Hall of Fame voting stage despite his stellar performance during his active career, but Choo Shin-soo was the first Korean player to be on the official candidate list. Choo Shin-soo even succeeded in winning the actual vote, proving the dignity of "the best hitter of all time for Koreans."
Jeff Wilson (Dallas Sports), one of the reporters who voted for Choo Shin-soo, said on December 31 last year, "Choo is by far the best Korean player who has played in the Major League. The pioneer meaning of his career should be fully respected, he said, explaining the reason for the vote of conviction.
Although he made a historic first step, Choo Shin-soo's Hall of Fame challenge was completed with this one time. Under Hall of Fame rules, candidates with less than 5% of the vote will be permanently removed from the ballot list the following year. Choo Shin-soo failed to get a chance to try again with only 0.7%.
Although he did well with more votes than his contemporaries Matt Kemp, Hunter Pence (two votes) and Nick Markakis (one vote), local analysts say that the total WAR (contribution to victory over substitute players) of 34.7 was somewhat insufficient to enter the Hall of Fame.
Although he failed to enter, Choo's 16 years in the major leagues were spectacular. From the 2005 season to the 2020 season, Choo Shin-soo accumulated a cumulative batting average of 0.275 (1,671 hits in 6,087 at-bats) and 218 homers and 782 RBIs in 16 seasons with four clubs, including the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians (current Guardians), Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers. His records, such as achieving the first 20 home runs-20 steals by an Asian batter, 218 home runs in total, and a high on-base percentage of 0.377, are still at the top of the Asian players.
Although there was no major league championship ring, Choo Shin-soo succeeded in winning the wire-to-wire 2022 season in the KBO League. Choo Shin-soo, who finished his active career after the 2024 season, continues his front career with SSG Landers. The overall KBO league record was 0.26354 homers, 205 RBIs and an OPS of 0.812, in 439 games in four seasons.
Choo Shin-soo, who is currently living his second baseball life in charge of fostering SSG Landers, will face an honorable exit by imprinting his name deeply in major league history once again through the results of this vote.
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*This content was translated by AI.
