Koreans Shine in MLB

The 2019 season of Major League Baseball came to an end in October.

Several Korean players in the U.S. league had a successful season despite their teams not making it to the World Series.

Among the Korean Major Leaguers, three players stood out and were praised by baseball fans.

 

@ Ryu Hyun-jin (Los Angeles Dodgers)

Ryu is now considered the top pitcher of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Early in the season, he was even mentioned as a strong candidate for the Cy yong award, which is given to the year's best pitcher.

However, he experienced several tough game in August and was unseated from the award competition.

Still, the 32-year-old quickly recovered and recorded a total of 15 wins this season, including one postseason victory.

He even hit his first MLB home-run against the Colorado Rockies in late September.

 

@ Choi Ji-man (Tampa Bay Rays)

Of all the Koreans in MLB, Choi had the most unforgettable year.

He played a full major league season for the first time.

Although his performance was unimpressive early on, Choi gradually showed his potential and ability.

He hit 20 home-runs in total and was also praised for his performance as a first baseman.

By the end of the season, Choi helped Tampa Bay to advance to the playoffs.

 

@ Choo Shin-soo (Texas Rangers)

Choo set a new record of his own this season.

The 37-years-old veteran hit 24 home-runs, the most in his career.

The Korean slugger also played in 150 games.

This was the most among all Texas Rangers this season.

 

• come to an end  끝나다, 죽다

• unseat  ˌʌnˈsiːt   (사람을) 자리[권좌]에서 몰아내다[내쫓다]

• recover  rɪˈkʌvə(r)   (건강이) 회복되다  (곤경 등을 벗어나 정상 상태로) 회복되다

• unforgettable  |ʌnfər│ɡetəbl    (보통 너무 아름답거나 재미있거나 해서) 잊지 못할[잊을 수 없는] (=memorable) (→forgettable)

• performance  pər|fɔːrməns   실적, 성과 ,  (개인의) 연기[연주] ,  공연, 연주회

• unimpressive  ˌʌnɪmˈpresɪv   인상적이 못 되는, 특별하지 않은, 평범한 (↔impressive)

• veteran  ˈvetərən   (어떤 분야의) 베테랑[전문가]

 

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