Injury-Prone Flop
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Once a highly-touted hitter, Choi Hee-seop was the first South Korean position player to join U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) when he signed with the Chicago Cubs in 2002.
The 1.96-meter, 109-kilogram first baseman, nicknamed ``Big Choi,'' was selected as the National League (NL) Rookie of the Month in May 2003, after brandishing his powerful bat.
Choi was promising enough to be traded to the Florida Marlins for two-time All-Star Derek Lee, who has produced 256 career homers and 819 RBIs.
But as if Choi's success was just a daydream, the left-handed swinger is now struggling to get on the field with the Kia Tigers in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and is being tagged an injury-prone flop.
Since his return to Korea last year with a high salary and expectations to contribute to the rebuilding of the nine-time Korean Series champion Tigers, Choi has not lived up to the hype due to various injuries.
The Gwangju-based Tigers, ranked sixth in the standings, sent Choi, who has a shoulder injury, to a lower league before a game against the SK Wyverns Wednesday.
Choi complained about pain after a pinch-hit at-bat against the Lotte Giants Sunday and sat out Tuesday. It is his second injury-linked demotion this season, after a back problem sent him down in May.
Choi also suffered a headache at a spring camp in Japan that caused him to return to Korea. Another injury sidelined him during last season.
Cho Beom-hyun, the Tigers' soft-spoken manager, criticized Choi, saying he needs to take his job as a baseball player more seriously.
``A pro player should manage himself,'' Cho said. ``If he felt bad swinging on Sunday, he should have had physical therapy Monday, instead of asking to be send down without previous notice. It is not professional.
``He needs changes physically and mentally.''
The 29-year-old Choi had been in a slump, going 2-for-13 with a batting average of .154 in five recent games before being ruled out of the lineup Tuesday.
He has six home runs and 22 RBIs while batting .229 this season.