Left-handed pitcher Choo Chan (36-Lotte Giants), who dominated the KBO mound with his hard-hitting fastball and sharp slider, will finally hang up his uniform.
“Chau-chan has decided to retire,” the Lotte team announced on Sunday, adding, “He prepared hard from spring training to the middle of the season with the idea that this year would be his last, but his body and condition did not keep up, so he decided to retire.”
A native of Gunsan Namjung-Gunsan Sango, Chauchan was drafted by the Samsung Lions with the seventh overall pick in the second round of the 2006 Korean Baseball Entry Draft.
In his early professional career, he bounced back and forth between the starting rotation and the bullpen due to weaknesses in his delivery despite throwing a powerful fastball, but in 2010, he made the leap to a full-time starter with a 10-2 record and 2.14 ERA.
After a steady stint on the mound for the team and becoming part of the “Samsung Dynasty,” Chowchan became a free agent after the 2016 season and found a new home with the LG Twins.
After winning 40 games in his four-year contract with LG, he signed a two-year extension ahead of the 2021 season.
After being sidelined for a while with a shoulder injury, he returned to the mound in June 2021 and pitched well enough to earn a spot in the Tokyo Olympics.
After the Olympics, he underwent shoulder surgery and eventually left LG last year after rehabilitation.
Heading into this season, he signed with Lotte for 50 million won per year and showed a strong determination to burn one last flame.
He took part in a significant amount of training since spring training, and on June 10, he appeared in a Futures (second team) league game and completed one inning safely.
However, due to the aftermath of his injury, he was unable to complete his delivery, and eventually decided to end his long active career.
Chowchan has a career record of 112-79-1 with 32 saves, 1,668⅔ innings pitched, 1,413 strikeouts, and a 4.51 ERA.
His national team appearances include the 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC), the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, the 2015 Premier 12, the 2017 WBC, the 2019 Premier 12, 카지노사이트킴 and the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.