By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Two-time Korean Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Jeong Min-tae of the Kia Tigers retired from baseball.
The Tigers announced Tuesday night that the right-handed pitcher has decided to walk away after talking with their general manager.
After rehabilitating from an injury and being called up to the first-tier league Monday, Jeong, 38, was reported to have told his decision to manager Cho Bum-hyun.
``I tried to recover from my shoulder injury through winter training and rehabilitation programs, but it has not fully healed and I could not produce solid pitching,'' he said to the Tigers, based in Gwangju.
``Taking a spot and chance from young pitchers in the bullpen is kind of burdensome.''
The team said he had expressed his hope to come back to the club as a coach.
Jeong, a former Hanyang University standout, made his debut in 1992 with the Taepyungyang Dolphins, a predecessor of the Hyundai Unicorns.
The hurler, who had a 150-kph fastball, sharp slider and changeup in his repertoire, led the league in wins for two straight years in 1999 and 2000 with victory totals of 20 and 18, respectively.
Before Doosan Bears pitcher Daniel Rios of the United States notched 22 wins last year, Jeong was the last pitcher in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to reach the 20-win mark.
Behind his success in the Korean league, he moved to the Japanese league after signing with the Yomiuri Giants in 2001. However, success did not follow him there, as he appeared in 27 games and went 2-1 with a 6.28 ERA for two years.
Determined to revitalize his career, Jeong returned to the Unicorns in 2003 and led the league in wins for the third time with a 17-2 record and a 3.31 ERA, helping his team reach the Korean Series (KS).
In the series against the SK Wyverns, he picked up three wins en route to his second KS MVP.
However, a right shoulder injury started bothering him in 2004 and has limited him to an 0-10 record for four years.
Before this season, Jeong, dissatisfied with his salary cut by the Woori Heroes ― the team that took over the Unicorns ― moved to the Tigers.
He started one game this year against the Hanwha Eagles on April 18, but was hit hard, allowing six runs in 3 2/3 innings.
In his 15-year career, he claimed 124 wins, eighth best in KBO history, against 96 losses with a 3.48 ERA. He won three gold gloves along with two KS MVP awards, but was not fortunate enough to net a regular season MVP award.
As for salary, he made history in the KBO by becoming the first player to earn 500 million won ($500,000) in a season in 2003 and 700 million won in 2004. His salary for this season is 70 million won.