Cincinnati advanced to the postseason ahead of the 2013 season and threw a game to a higher place. Through a trade with Cleveland, Choo Shin-soo (41‧SSG), who was active as an all-around player, was recruited to reinforce the team’s batting line.메이저사이트
At the time, Cincinnati had a fairly solid fielding team, and Shin-soo Choo’s addition meant an upgrade for this batting lineup. Choo Shin-soo had one year left before becoming a free agent (FA). Considering Cincinnati’s financial capabilities, it was not certain that it would be possible to catch Choo Shin-soo, who was guaranteed a total of more than $100 million. Even so, it was a bold bet.
It was a time when Choo Shin-soo showed off his peak skills in on-base, long hits, and running, recording 22 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 2010. On the one hand, he was a master of on-base, having already achieved a .401 on-base percentage (.401) in 2010. And Cincinnati had another on-base machine. The main character was Joey Votto (40), a veteran player who has accumulated accumulated results that will leave his name proudly in Cincinnati history.
Debuting with Cincinnati in 2007, Votto was one of the league’s best hitters with precision, on-base percentage, and slugging power. In 2011, he came into the limelight as one of the league’s top players, posting a batting average of 0.309, on-base percentage of 0.416, and slugging percentage of 0.531. Such Votto gave Shin-soo Choo the nickname ‘Rabbit 1’, expressing both his friendliness and respect. He called himself ‘Rabbit 2’. It was that he treated Choo Shin-soo that much.
In 2013, the two players showed the true value of reaching base. Votto appeared in all 162 games, posting a batting average of .305, an on-base percentage of 0.435, a slugging percentage of 0.491, and an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of 0.926. He hit 24 home runs. Choo Shin-soo achieved results comparable to Votto. Shin-soo Choo, who did not give in despite the many hit balls, recorded 21 homers and 20 stolen bases with a batting average of 0.285, on-base percentage of 0.423, slugging percentage of 0.462, and OPS of 0.885 in 154 games in 2013.
At that time, Votto recorded 135 walks and Choo Shin-soo recorded 112. Both players exceeded 100 walks and runs side by side, becoming the most demanding lineup among opposing pitchers. Choo Shin-soo signed a seven-year, $130 million contract with Texas ahead of the 2014 season, but during the 2017 Players Weekend, the two players came out with the names ‘Rabbit 1’ and ‘Rabbit 2’ on their backs. They also showed off their friendship.
In this way, the two players continued their major league careers by doing their best in their respective positions. Choo Shin-soo returned to the KBO league ahead of the 2021 season, and Votto also lost his performance, such as not being able to fake his age, so it was no longer a combination that was talked about a lot. Votto suffered from frequent injuries last year and realized the weight of his age as he recorded the worst record of his career with a batting average of 0.205 and an on-base percentage of 0.319 in 91 games.
Votto signed a 10-year, $225 million contract with the team ahead of the 2014 season. This year is the end of that contract period, with a $20 million team option for 2024 ($7 million buyout). Many thought Votto’s Cincinnati stint would be over this year, a reasonable prediction considering his age and poor performance. But it wasn’t going to end like this.
Votto, who delayed the start of the season due to injury, has a batting average of 0.217 in 14 games of the season as of the 7th, but his on-base percentage is maintaining a decent level of 0.345. Here he is with five homers and a 0.543 slugging percentage for a 0.888 OPS. He still has about halfway through the season, but if he can maintain that rate, he could change Cincinnati’s team option thoughts as well. Considering that he is a player with respected leadership on the team, and one that will be inducted into the Cincinnati Hall of Fame, $20 million might be left as a symbolic amount.
‘Rabbit 1’ is still active. Although it is not his major league stage, he still shows his on-base ability in the KBO league. His on-base percentage in 2021 was 0.409, last year it was 0.382, and this year it was 0.390, which is rather a higher figure than last year. Considering that he has lost a lot of performance for a while due to the aftermath of an ankle injury, he may again challenge 40% for his final on-base percentage of the season under the premise that Shin-soo Choo is playing healthy. The end of the careers of the two players who will be remembered as on-base machines are being highlighted again.