Choo Shin-soo's 'Generous Donation'... "Supporting 191 Minor Leaguers with $1,000 Each"

"Helping Players Is Meaningful," Amid COVID-19 Spread in the US, "Must Follow Preventive Measures" Harsh Words

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Major leaguer Choo Shin-soo (38, Texas Rangers, photo) makes a 'generous donation.'

On the 2nd (Korean time), the AP news agency reported that "Choo Shin-soo will provide $1,000 (1.24 million KRW) in living expenses to all 191 minor league players under his team's organization." The total amount is a whopping $191,000 (237 million KRW), which is not a small sum. Major League Baseball (MLB) recently suspended spring training and postponed the regular season due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). MLB decided to pay minor leaguers a maximum weekly salary of $400 (500,000 KRW), but it is far from sufficient.

Choo Shin-soo signed a 7-year, $130 million (161.2 billion KRW) contract with Texas in 2014. This season, the final year of the contract, he receives the highest salary on the team at $21 million (2.6 billion KRW). "I also played in the minor leagues for 7 years and it was financially very difficult," said Choo Shin-soo. "Although the environment for minor league players has improved compared to then, they still face financial hardships," he explained, adding, "After discussing with my wife, we decided to do something good."

"When I first came to the U.S. 20 years ago, I had nothing, but now I enjoy many things thanks to baseball," he said. "Now it's time to give back. Helping players who work hard in sports is very meaningful." On the 10th of last month, he already donated 20 million KRW to the Community Chest of Korea to support citizens of Daegu Metropolitan City suffering from COVID-19, providing both material and moral support to those in need.

It is interesting that Choo Shin-soo did not hold back criticism toward the U.S., which is facing the COVID-19 outbreak. In an interview with the Texas daily Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he pointed out, "The worsening COVID-19 situation is because people are not taking it seriously," and criticized, "They go outside without wearing masks." In the U.S., social distancing of about 2 meters between people is recommended, but many do not wash their hands frequently.

"I have already stayed at home for 3 weeks, and honestly, it is hard and boring," said Choo Shin-soo. "It is painful, but we must minimize social contact," he emphasized. "Everyone must follow COVID-19 prevention rules and act together." He added, "If we want to return to normal life, everyone must stay home," and urged active cooperation by saying, "We must follow the U.S. government's policy banning large gatherings."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.