Choi Dong-won, 53; Was One of Korea's Greatest Professional Baseball Players
Bill Schenley
Choi Dong-won the 'Iron Arm'
Photo: http://tinyurl.com/3f69lj2
FROM: The Korean Times ~
By Yi Whan-woo
Choi Dong-won, one of the top pitchers in the professional Korean baseball
league in the 1980s, died Wednesday of cancer. He was 53.
Named Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1984, Choi was first diagnosed with
colorectal cancer in 2007 while serving as the second-tier team manager of
the Hanwha Eagles. His condition improved and in 2009 he served as the
supervisor of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
"While he was unconscious most of the time recently, he showed spirit where
he often opened his eyes, saying 'I'm alright, I'm alright,'" Choi's
brother, a KBO official, said.
Choi's condition grew worse last year and he was hospitalized at the
National Health Insurance Corp. (NHIC) Ilsan Hospital in Goyang, Gyeonggi
Province.
"He was the one of the best pitchers, probably the best in this half
century," said SK Wyverns interim manager Lee Man-soo. Since first meeting
as high school athletes, Choi and Lee built a friendship that spanned for 30
years, including time as Samsung Lions teammates.
Since making his debut in KBO in 1983, Choi spent eight seasons in the
league, six with the Lotte Giants, and the rest with the Lions.
A numbers of bests were attached to Choi's name during his career, including
the MVP title in his second year, in which he also recorded a season-high 24
wins and 223 strikeouts with a 2.40 ERA in 284 2/3 innings. The strikeout
total remains the KBO's all-time single season record.
The right-hander had a fastball over 150 kilometers per hour that helped the
Giants lift the Korean Series title in 1984, in which he earned all four
victories for the club in the best-of-seven final round. He took the mound
in five games, in which he pitched three complete games.
He was named "Iron Arm" for his strength, throwing more than 200 innings in
each of his first five seasons.
The pitcher was traded to the Lions after the 1988 season when he tried to
create an association of players. He spent two mediocre seasons before
retiring at 32.
Despite his relatively short time as a star athlete, he is often dubbed as
one of the two pillar pitchers along with Sun Dong-yeol, 48, former manager
of the Lions. While Choi was known for his curve balls, Sun was known for
his sliders. The game featuring the two on May 16, 1987 in Busan remains one
of the most-talked about. The two threw from start to finish, over five
hours and 15 innings only to see their respective teams draw 2-2. Choi who
was with Lotte at that time threw 209 pitches while Sun, of Haitai Tigers
(predecessor of the Kia Tigers), threw 232.
Choi was a dominant hurler from his high school years. The former Kyungnam
High School student had a no-hit, no-run game in a local tournament in 1975,
and also had 20 strikeouts in another tournament fixture the next year.
He was poised to become the first Korean in Major League Baseball following
a successful amateur career and in 1981 the Toronto Blue Jays showed a
strong interest. At an international tournament held in Edmonton earlier
that year, Choi had pitched a one-hit shutout against Canada and marked a
perfect game into the ninth inning. Choi was regarded as having the
potential to play in the big league immediately.
As he had not finished his mandatory military duty, he instead turned his
sights on the KBO league in 1983.
He was recently scheduled to play as a member of a legends match for his
high school in July, but remained in the dugout because of his worsened
condition.
Choi is survived by his wife and a son.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Dong-won_Choi