SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - Slugger Choo Shin-soo has become the first South Korean baseball player nominated for the Major League Baseball (MLB)'s Hall of Fame.
According to a list released by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) on Monday, Choo is among 27 candidates, 15 holdovers and 12 newcomers, being considered for induction in July next year.
To be eligible, candidates must have played in MLB for at least 10 years and have been retired for more than five years. They also need to receive at least 75 percent of the vote from BBWAA members with over 10 years of experience. Voting runs through Dec. 31, with results to be announced on Jan. 20.
Choo, who currently serves as an adviser for the Incheon-based SSG Landers after retiring at the end of last year, is the first South Korean and the fourth Asian player to be nominated for the honor.
Pitchers Park Chan-ho, who spent 17 seasons in MLB, and Kim Byung-hyun, a two-time World Series winner, were never nominated despite their achievements.
Making his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners in 2005, he played 16 seasons, posting a .275 batting average with 1,671 hits, 218 homers, and 157 steals in 1,652 games.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
