Cincinnati made the winning move for the postseason and higher ahead of the 2013 season. Choo Shin-soo (41, SSG), who was active as an all-around player through a trade with Cleveland, was recruited to reinforce the team’s batting lineup.
At that time, Cincinnati had a fairly solid fielding team, and Choo Shin-soo’s addition meant an upgrade to this lineup. Choo Shin-soo had one year left until he became a free agent at that time. Considering Cincinnati’s financial capabilities, it was not certain whether it would be able to catch Choo Shin-soo, who is certain to have a total of more than $100 million. Nevertheless, he boldly decided to win.
It was a time when Choo Shin-soo showed off his peak skills in on-base, long hits, and base running, with 22 home runs and 22 steals in 2010. 안전토토사이트 On the other hand, he was a master of on-base, who had already achieved a .401 on-base percentage in 2010. And Cincinnati had another on-base machine. Joey Votto (40), a veteran player and now accumulated enough to make a name in Cincinnati history, was the main character.
Votto, who made his debut in Cincinnati in 2007, was one of the league’s top hitters with sophistication, on-base percentage, and slugging power. In 2011, he was spotlighted as one of the best players in the league, with a batting average of 0.309, an on-base percentage of 0.416 and a slugging percentage of 0.531. Votto nicknamed Choo Shin-soo “Rabbit 1,” expressing both friendliness and respect. He claimed to be Rabbit 2. He treated Choo as much as he did.
In 2013, the two players showed the true value of getting on base. Votto played in all 162 games with a batting average of 0.305, an on-base percentage of 0.435, a slugging percentage of 0.491, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage). He hit 24 home runs. Choo Shin-soo has achieved just as much as Botto. Choo Shin-soo, who did not give in despite having a lot of hit balls, recorded 21 home runs and 20 steals with a batting average of 0.285, an on-base percentage of 0.423, a slugging percentage of 0.462 and an OPS of 0.885 in 154 games in 2013.
At that time, Votto had 135 walks and Choo Shin-soo had 112 walks. Both players walked and scored more than 100, making it the most difficult lineup for opposing pitchers. Choo Shin-soo left the team with a seven-year contract with Texas for a total of $130 million ahead of the 2014 season, but during Players Weekend in 2017, the two players showed off their friendship by putting the names “Rabbit 1” and “Rabbit 2” on their backs.
As such, the two players continued their major league careers by doing their best in their respective positions. Choo Shin-soo returned to the KBO League ahead of the 2021 season, and Votto was no longer a much talked-about combination due to his poor performance, such as failing to deceive his age. Votto suffered from frequent injuries last year and stayed in his worst career performance with a batting average of 0.205 and an on-base percentage of 0.319 in 91 games, realizing the weight of his age.
Votto signed with the team for a 10-year total of $225 million ahead of the 2014 season. This year is the end of the contract, and there is a $20 million team option (buy-out $7 million) in 2024. Many thought Votto’s life in Cincinnati would end this year, and this was a reasonable prediction considering his age and falling grades. But it was not a botto that would end like this.
Votto, who was late to open the season due to injury, has a batting average of 0.217 in 14 games of the season as of the 7th, but his on-base percentage is maintaining a decent level of 0.345 as of the 7th. On top of that, he hit five home runs and has an OPS of 0.888 with a slugging percentage of 0.543. Although there is still about half of the season left, Cincinnati’s team options could change if it can maintain this ratio. Considering that he is a player with respected leadership in the team and a player who will enter the Cincinnati Hall of Fame, $20 million may be left as an iconic amount.
“Rabbit 1” is still active. Although it is not a major league stage, it is still showing its on-base ability in the KBO League. The on-base percentage in 2021 was 0.409, 0.382 last year, and 0.390 this year, up from last year. Considering that he has forgotten his performance for a while in the aftermath of an ankle injury, Choo Shin-soo may challenge his last on-base percentage of the season again to 40% on the premise that he plays healthy. The end of the two players’ careers, which will be remembered as on-base machines, is being highlighted again.