“I was loved by the greatest fans.”
San Diego Padres pitcher Ji-Man Choi said goodbye to fans of his former team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. On April 4, Choi posted on his social media, “It’s always hard to say goodbye. I had a great time as a member of the Pirates. I’ll never forget it,” Choi wrote about his feelings about leaving Pittsburgh.토토사이트
“It doesn’t matter how long I’ve been here. I was loved by the greatest fans in the world. I wish I could have stayed longer, but baseball is a business. It’s not something I can do anything about. I just want to thank them again for coming out and supporting me and Pittsburgh, and I wish them all the best.”
Choi’s time with Pittsburgh was short-lived. He came to Pittsburgh via trade from the Tampa Bay Rays after last season. Pittsburgh, in need of a veteran to serve as a clubhouse leader, embraced Choi.
However, Choi hasn’t played many games in a Pittsburgh uniform. He suffered an Achilles injury. But when he did return, he was often the kind of player Pittsburgh wanted. He hit four home runs in the month of July, showing off his punch. In 23 games with Pittsburgh, Choi hit .205 with 15 doubles, six home runs, a .507 on-base percentage and a .731 OPS.
Ahead of the trade deadline, Choi was sent back to San Diego. This is his eighth move since joining the United States. The Padres were in need of a left-handed bat, and Choi, who homered against them, was on their radar. The Padres acquired Choi in exchange for prospects Zack Wolf, Esutar Sueiro, and Alfonso Rivas.
Being traded is a common experience for Choi. In fact, trades don’t reflect a player’s will. Even if a player wants to stay with the team, he has no choice but to move according to the club’s decision. “Baseball is a business,” Choi said.
Meanwhile, Choi will be teaming up with Kim Ha-seong in San Diego. It will be interesting to see if the Korean major league duo can lead San Diego to the postseason.