Choo Shin-soo (41, SSG) vomited his heart without hesitation about An Woo-jin (24, Kiwoom)’s failure to select the national team for the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
On the 21st (Korean time), Choo Shin-soo appeared on ‘DKNET’, a Korean radio station in Dallas, Texas, USA and said, “When I participate in international competitions such as the WBC from a young age, the feelings and mind itself change. It is the job of Korean baseball to create opportunities for players like Ahn Woo-jin to compete in international competitions.”
If grades were the only criterion, Ahn Woo-jin is the resource that should be selected first.
Ahn Woo-jin received a brilliant report card in the 2022 season of 15 wins and 8 losses with an average ERA of 2.11. With 224 strikeouts, he ranked second on the all-time list for most strikeouts in a season, and even held the title for earned run average. An Woo-jin, who came second in the most wins category, even had a Golden Glove in the pitcher category. 스포츠토토
However, he was still not free from the ‘academic violence’ controversy. Ahn Woo-jin was disciplined by the School Violence Countermeasures Autonomous Committee for school violence during Whimoon High School. He was also suspended for three years by the Korea Sports Association and the Korea Baseball Softball Association. The WBC, which the KBO had the right to select, was an opportunity for Ahn Woo-jin to wear the Taegeuk mark, but even this was canceled.
At the time, when asked about the background of Ahn Woo-jin’s exclusion, Cho Beom-hyun, chairman of the KBO Technical Committee, said, “We finally selected 30 entries after considering various factors such as the symbolic meaning of the national team representing the country, responsibility, and pride, along with the player’s skills.” Although he avoided an immediate answer, it is enough to interpret it as meaning that he cannot select players involved in school violence issues.
Choo Shin-soo also clearly criticized Ahn Woo-jin for the abuse he committed during the broadcast.
Choo Shin-soo said, “Ahn Woo-jin obviously did the wrong thing,” but “It’s a pity to see only what is heard and seen as a third person. In a way, he is a player who can become the next best player after Park Chan-ho. He plays baseball in Korea, but there are so many things that don’t make sense. He made mistakes as a child, but now has remorse and has been suspended. Even so, he can’t go to the national team. I really have a lot to say,” he insisted.
He also said, “There is something I want to say to many seniors. He is not a senior just because he is old. If there is a junior who is being treated unreasonably like this, he thinks he should take off his feet. But nobody steps out. If my juniors are exercising in the wrong place, I should try to change them, but I just watch them. It’s a pity,” he said, raising his voice.
Despite Choo Shin-soo’s remarks, public opinion toward Ahn Woo-jin is still cold. Rather, the voice and intensity of criticism toward Choo Shin-soo is growing. Viewers who came across the broadcast said, “Is Choo Shin-soo easily forgiven after driving drunk and making such remarks?”, “Under any circumstances, school violence cannot be forgiven. He should be glad he wasn’t ejected. I can’t understand Choo Shin-soo’s remarks.”
Meanwhile, South Korea, which is in Group B of the WBC opening in Tokyo, Japan, will start with Australia on March 9, followed by Japan on the 10th, the Czech Republic on the 12th, and China on the 13th. clash