“I’m not envious of Seohyun Kim”… Why did the 19-year-old fireballer, who is the ‘first choice’, choose the arduous path?
If you participated in the KBO League rookie draft like your friends, you would have been nominated as the first overall pick. However, Deoksu High School fireballer Shim Jun-seok (19) chose the dirt road rather than the flower road. Instead, he made a resolution to go through unfamiliar dirt roads in America and walk on more beautiful flower roads than his friends in the distant future.
Shim Jun-seok was the pitcher who threw the fastest ball in Korean high school baseball last year. His highest speed of 157 km/h drew attention not only in Korea but also in the United States. As a result, the first overall nomination in the 2023 KBO new draft was likely, and Hanwha, KIA, and Lotte, which had higher nomination rights, made a first-round plan with Shim Jun-seok nomination in mind. 바카라
However, Shim Jun-seok did not submit an application for the rookie draft. He made the big decision to challenge the major leagues instead. Like the lyrics of a famous song, it was you who dared to choose the arduous path. In March of last year, he signed a contract with Scott Boras, a major league super agent, and started his advance into the US. On the 16th, he signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates and finally realized his dream.
Excitement and fear coexisted in Shim Jun-seok’s expression, which we met on the 24th at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 2 departure hall. “It’s really nice to go to America,” he said. But when I arrived at the airport, I was both excited and nervous. I want to come back to Korea with good results,” he said, expressing his feelings ahead of his departure to Pittsburgh.
The reason why Shim Jun-seok turned away from the flower road and chose the dirt road. The confidence that he would be able to succeed in the United States led him to the challenge. Shim Jun-seok said, “It will be difficult to leave home for a long time for the first time. Even though he worried that he would not be able to meet many friends, he said, “That is not important. I don’t worry too much because I have work to do. If he didn’t have confidence, he wouldn’t even take on the challenge. I have the confidence that I can go up and work hard.”
With Shim Jun-seok going to the United States, the first overall honor in the rookie draft went to Kim Seo-hyeon (Hanwha) of Seoul High School. Kim Seo-hyun is attracting attention every day as a rising star who will lead the KBO league with his rookie nomination. There is also a prospect that he will immediately serve as the finishing pitcher for Hanwha, whose back door is uncertain next year. On the other hand, Shim Jun-seok has to compete while eating bread soaked in tears in an unfamiliar land with a different culture and language. He has to go through various barriers in the minor leagues before he can achieve his dream of becoming a big leaguer.
However, Shim Jun-seok was resolute. Rather, he seemed to welcome a challenge. He said, “I don’t think I’m envious of friends like Seohyun Kim. The pros are equally difficult anyway,” he said. “Of course, life in the US will be more difficult, but if I work hard, I will rise to a higher place, and then I can be treated. First of all, I want to show off 100% of what I can do from spring camp and go to the league that suits it.”
He did not forget to say hello to the fans who wish Shim Jun-seok success in Korea. Shim Jun-seok said, “I didn’t decide to challenge the major leagues just because of a dream of going to the United States. He has the confidence to go and do well, and he has the confidence to go higher. That’s why I’m taking on a challenge, so I hope you look at it with a warm heart rather than a stinging gaze.”