Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The three players, who joined the new Major League team in December last year, all appeared at the press conference wearing ties of colors symbolizing the team.
There was such a player in the KBO league. Choi Joo-hwan (former SSG Landers) won the Kiwoom Heroes title in the second draft on Nov. 22 last year. When he visited Kiwoom, he wore a suit and a “bagandy” tie.
In the case of the KBO League, there is no press conference when a player moves to a club, except in special cases. There are few opportunities for a player to visit the club in a suit.
In the case of Japan (NPB), players wear ties to teams’ offices not only in transfer but also in salary negotiations. This culture does not exist in the KBO League. In the case of the KBO, it is familiar to wear a team jumper rather than a suit and shake hands with the general manager or president when a photo needs to be taken. Then why did Choi wear a suit and a tie.
“I got a call from the manager of the Kiwoom team, ‘Come in semi-suit.’ I didn’t have to wear a tie, but Kiwoom chose me as the top pick in the 2nd draft. I was also touched by the fact that when the general manager, Ko Hyung-wook, recruited me, he said, ‘I was very lucky.’ With that positive mindset, I wore a team-colored tie.”
The tie was not newly prepared this time. It was a tie that I was particularly attached to Choi Joo-hwan.
“This is a tie I got from my wife who I was dating in 2018. I don’t have many opportunities to wear a suit because I’m an athlete, but I think I wear that tie whenever I need it.”
In fact, Choi Joo-hwan was wearing a burgundy tie when he attended the Golden Glove Awards in 2018.
Receiving a designation in the second draft means that the team has been excluded from the 35 players who are protected by the team. For a player, it is never a joy.
Choi Joo-hwan is said to have been silently waiting for the outcome of the second draft. “I was listening to the situation in advance at the SSG, and I also thought that my value could be enhanced if another team chooses the second draft rather than fewer chances to play in a team that is changing generations.” 마카오토토도메인
Kiwoom ranked 10th last season, the lowest among the teams. The team needs senior players who have experience with young players who are in the process of growing up without its main player Lee Jung-hoo. “I feel that the atmosphere of the team is very good. I want to make sure that younger players can comfortably approach me as gentle seniors within the team,” said Choi Joo-hwan, who turns 36 this year.