About Shin-Soo Choo
Shin-Soo Choo (Korean: 추신수; Hanja: 秋信守; Korean pronunciation: [tɕʰu.ɕin.su]; born July 13, 1982) is a South Korean former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, and Texas Rangers before ending his career in the KBO League with the SSG Landers. Choo left MLB as the record holder for most career home runs (218) hit by an Asian-born player in the league, which was later passed by Shohei Ohtani. Choo was selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Best Pitcher of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup as South Korea won the event. Choo signed a $1.35 million contract with the Mariners after the championship and converted to the outfield. With the Cleveland Indians, Choo recorded two consecutive seasons of 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Before the 2014 season, he signed a $130 million contract with the Texas Rangers. In 2015, Choo became the first Asian-born player to hit for the cycle in MLB. In 2018, Choo earned a selection to his first career Major League Baseball All-Star Game. During that season, he safely reached base in 52 consecutive games, the longest such single-season streak in Texas Rangers history. He also ranks 24th among all major leaguers in career hit by pitch, with 152. In 2021, Choo returned to South Korea to play in the KBO League, before retiring at the end of the 2024 KBO League season.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.