Did you know that the major leagues currently retain Korean-born ball players?

Take Shin Soo Choo (추신수).  He played as an outfielder for the Seattle Mariners in 2005-2006 and now he plays for the Cleveland Indians.  He’s only 26 years old and he makes about $1.35 million a year.  I know that’s not a lot compared to what A-rod gets, but compared to what South Korean ball players make in Korea, this is a ton of money.  He suffered an injury and had to undergo surgery for it, but now he’s up and running.  His nickname is “The Train”.  It comes from his last name Choo, which sounds a lot like the sounds trains make.

Cha Seung Bek (백차승) used to be the pitcher for the Seattle Mariners in 2004 and from 2006 to 2008.  Then he was traded to the San Diego Padres in 2008.  His first MLB debut was on August 8th, 2008 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.  He pitched seven games, winning two and losing four.  His career has been pretty rocky.  His win-loss is 16-18.  Earned run average is 4.83 and he has a total of 184 strikeouts.  His first home run was in 2008 off Jaime Garcia.

Jae Kuk Ryu (류제국) currently pitches for the San Diego Padres.  He made news back in 2003 for killing an osprey with his ball.  Ospreys are protected by the state of Florida.  He was fined for the dead bird and that’s pretty much the only notorioty he has ever received in the press.  His win-loss is 1-3.  Earned run average is 7.49 and his total number of strikeouts is 32.  He bats and throws with his right hand.

Chan Ho Park (박찬호) is a celebrity among Koreans.  He’s the first Korean born ball player in the U.S. major leagues and he currently pitches for the Philadelphia Phillies.  He’s known for his fastballs and curveballs.  He makes $2.5 million a year.  This being a recession, I don’t think it’s really appropriate to say that’s a small amount of money.  There are people in this world who are making a lot less and doing a lot more for this country, so let’s just leave it at that.

Alright, so now you have a brief idea of who the Korean yagu sunsoo (야구 선수) or baseball players are in the major leagues.  If they’re in your area, please go to their games and support them!