'Choo! Choo!': Cleveland fans roar as retired Korean slugger returns to old home turf

Former MLB All-Star Choo Shin-soo threw the ceremonial first pitch at Cleveland's Progressive Field, where he spent seven standout seasons.

Choo Shin-Soo, former player for the Cleveland Guardians, throws the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Guardians taking on the Tampa Bay Rays during the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on Oct. 18. GETTY IMAGES/YONHAP

Former MLB All-Star Choo Shin-soo received a roaring welcome home Sunday as he stepped onto the mound at Cleveland Progressive Field, his former home turf.

“Choo! Choo!” fans chanted.

Choo, dressed in a red jersey, threw out the ceremonial first pitch in support of Cleveland, his former team and the home side. The Korean slugger spent 16 seasons in MLB, but his greatest strides came during his seven years with Cleveland from 2006 to 2012.

Choo first arrived in American baseball with the Seattle Mariners, but his career took off after he joined Cleveland. He established himself as a major league regular in Cleveland, where he batted .292 with 83 home runs, 372 RBIs and 85 stolen bases.

He became the first Asian player to record at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in back-to-back seasons in 2009 and 2010.

The homecoming nearly fell through. Cleveland had originally invited Choo to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Saturday's Game 4.

Choo, however, politely declined because he had already scheduled a college tour with his child that day.

Then the weather intervened. A downpour in Ohio forced the game to be postponed, and Game 5 was rescheduled for Monday, which was supposed to be a travel day. The change cleared the way for Choo's ceremonial first pitch.

His left-handed ceremonial first pitch sailed through the strike zone, drawing another round of applause from the crowd. MLB's official social media accounts and the Guardians' website also celebrated the moment with videos of his pitch.

But Choo's homecoming did not bring Cleveland the luck it had hoped for. With the series tied 2-2, the Guardians fell 3-1 in Game 5 as Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen held them to one run over seven innings. The Rays now lead the series 3-2 and need just one more victory to reach the World Series for the first time since 2020. Game 6 is scheduled for Tuesday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

BY BAE YOUNG-EUN [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]