A Korean baseball legend to throw out the first pitch at MLB's postseason? Choo Shin-soo, acknowledged even in the U.S., takes the mound for ALCS Game 5... Cleveland remembered him after 14 years

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It has been two years since he retired from active duty, and a whopping 14 years since he left Cleveland. Yet, in this crucial autumn baseball hanbok edition, the name the Cleveland Guardians recalled was Choo Shin-soo (44).

Choo Shin-soo, who serves as an assistant to the owner of the SSG Landers and oversees player development, took the pitcher's mound as the ceremonial first-pitch thrower ahead of Game 5 of the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) American League Championship Series (ALCS, best-of-seven series) between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays, held on the 19th (Korean time) at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.

It was a critical battle with the series tied at two wins and two losses. The significance lay in the fact that Cleveland called upon Choo Shin-soo, a former key player, for a postseason game that would serve as a watershed moment for World Series advancement, rather than a simple regular-season event.

MLB immediately took notice of this scene. The official website MLB.com posted a separate 24-second video shortly after the game began, stating, "Choo Shin-soo threw out the first pitch in ALCS Game 5." The Cleveland club's homepage also featured Choo Shin-soo's first pitch as a key video alongside the game highlights. MLB's official social media (SNS) also introduced this moment with his photo immediately after the first pitch.

The first pitch was originally difficult to arrange. Cleveland had previously proposed a postseason first pitch to Choo Shin-soo, but he declined once due to a long-scheduled college preview trip for his second son. However, when Game 4 was postponed due to rain, the schedule changed, and with Cleveland's renewed request, he was dramatically able to reunite with fans of his former team.

Choo Shin-soo expressed his feelings, saying, "It is a great honor that I was remembered among so many players for an important postseason stage rather than the regular season, even though quite a bit of time has passed since I left the team."

Cleveland has ample reason to remember Choo Shin-soo. After graduating from Busan High School in 2000 and signing an international contract with the Seattle Mariners, Choo Shin-soo debuted in the Major Leagues in 2005 after a long stint in the minor leagues. However, it was Cleveland where his big league career truly blossomed. He donned the Cleveland uniform via trade in 2006 and made a strong start by hitting his first Major League home run against Felix Hernandez of his former team Seattle immediately after the transfer.

Subsequently, he appeared in 685 games for Cleveland until 2012, recording a batting average of 0.292, 83 home runs, 372 RBIs, 389 runs scored, and 85 stolen bases, with an OPS of 0.853. In particular, in 2009, he achieved the first 20-home run-20-stolen base season by an Asian-born player with a batting average of 0.300, 20 home runs, and 21 stolen bases, and the following year, he accomplished another 20-20 feat with a batting average of 0.300, 22 home runs, and 22 stolen bases. He was also the first player in Cleveland club history to achieve a "batting average over .300, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases" for two consecutive years.

In 2010, he ranked fourth in the American League with an on-base percentage of 0.401 and led the league with 14 outfield assists. That year, he also placed 14th in MVP voting, becoming the first Korean Major Leager to receive MVP votes.

His record-breaking run continued even after leaving Cleveland. After passing through the Cincinnati Reds, he signed a massive seven-year, $130 million contract with the Texas Rangers, achieving the first cycle by an Asian-born player in 2015 and becoming the first Korean infielder/outfielder selected to the All-Star team in 2018, while also setting a club record of reaching base in 52 consecutive games. His career Major League statistics are 1,652 games, a batting average of 0.275, 1,671 hits, 218 home runs, 782 RBIs, 961 runs scored, 157 stolen bases, an on-base percentage of 0.377, and an OPS of 0.824.

MLB.com introduced Choo Shin-soo as "undoubtedly the most productive Korean-born Major League player" and summarized his achievements. With a Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 34.6, 218 home runs, 1,671 hits, and 157 stolen bases, he led all Korean-born players in each category. He was also one of only 21 Major Leaguers in the 21st century to record over 100 home runs, 100 stolen bases, and an OPS+ of 120 or higher.

Last year, he became the first Korean to be included on the ballot for the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame voting. The very fact that he was selected as a candidate—a milestone even Park Chan-ho had not reached—showed how his 16-year Major League career was evaluated locally. And Choo Shin-soo returned to Cleveland, where his career began and where he spent his most glorious prime, after 14 years, standing once again at Progressive Field.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original