Hee Seop Choi, The Best Dodgers Home Run Derby Participant Ever
by Eric Stephen on Jul 4, 2011 12:00 PM PDT
in Dodgers History & Records
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Some time in the next few days, it will likely be announced that Matt Kemp will participate in the 2011 MLB Home Run Derby. It seems only right that the National League co-leader in home runs will participate in the event. Kemp would be the fifth Dodger to take part in the contest, but to be the best, he has to beat...Hee Seop Choi.
The story of Choi as a Dodger is remarkable in itself, as he was acquired in one of the most polarizing trades in Dodger history, and despite a 107 OPS+ at age 26 he never played in the majors again. But the focus of this post is on Choi's All-Star weekend in 2005. Choi was hitting .236/.318/.458 at the All-Star break, and his 13 home runs were two behind Jeff Kent and J.D. Drew for the team lead. Choi found himself on a plane with Dodger All-Stars Kent and Cesar Izturis, but not because he made the All-Star team.
In 2005, MLB tried to drum up more interest in the moribund homer derby. Rather than the simple solution of "fire Chris Berman," MLB instead decided to switch the format. With the announcement of the new World Baseball Classic, which would begin in 2006, during 2005 All-Star week, the home run derby had eight players representing eight different countries. Choi represented Korea.
Previous Dodger home run derby participants had failed miserably. Mike Piazza took part in his first two years in the big leagues, in 1993 and 1994, but he didn't hit a home run in either contest. Raul Mondesi went in 1995, and he only hit two home runs. Like Piazza and Mondesi, Choi didn't make it past the first round in 2005. But Choi did hit five home runs.
Back in 2008, Kevin Kaduk of Yahoo's Big League Stew called Choi the worst Home Run Derby participant of all-time. That may be true, but with those five home runs, Choi stands alone as the best Dodger ever in the contest. Hopefully Kemp can change that one week from today.
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Nothing more factual has ever been spoken
Rather than the simple solution of “fire Chris Berman,”
by keithc13 on Jul 4, 2011 12:03 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Somehow Choi got alot of hate for putting up:
236/318/458
That would be most accepted on this team.
He hit:
253/336/453 for the entire 2005 season.
Kuroda
Read that the Tigers were interested in him. Would they part with Avila? I think he has ties to the Dodgers but I don’t know if they would since he is an all star.
Do they have any good 3B in the minors?
by dodgers4life on Jul 4, 2011 12:19 PM PDT up reply actions
Nick Castellanos, #2 prospect (age 19) Low-A
Francisco Martinez, #4 prospect (age 20) Double A
Castellanos is a 2010 draftee, so there are trade restrictions. In that case, Martinez seems like a better bet. BA scouting report:
-Raw tools of a prototypical 3rd baseman
-Above average speed
-Quick bat that produces line drives
-Solid future power as he fills out
-Soft hands and strong arm at 3rd
Could Castellanos be included as a PTBNL? I would take either and a pitcher for Kuroda.
by dodgers4life on Jul 4, 2011 12:34 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah I like Nick Castellanos but don't think they're gonna trade him
Martinez is more likely tradeable imho.
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
Castellanos
was drafted in June 2010….isn’t he eligible to be traded now?
Ray Guilfoyle
www.faketeams.com
www.sbnation.com
www.minorleagueball.com
by Ray Guilfoyle on Jul 4, 2011 2:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Made another colorization post
http://www.truebluela.com/2011/7/4/2258514/even-more-dodger-colorizations
Featuring Mike Scioscia, the Mets, and the Satin uniforms!
Fire sale?
You really think it’s that time? I personally really like our team as is. They just need to get the offense going. I voted for Dre like eleventeen times.
by Skunkburner on Jul 4, 2011 12:28 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Hee Sop was all about streaks which gave his final stat lines a decent look. One of the strangest short lived careers in baseball history given his production. Usually guys who don’t get multiple chances are players that scouts were never high on, but you can’t say that about Choi. While with the Cubs he was their best offensive prospect and many scouts considered him the best power prospect in baseball.
Fans loved to chant his name, and the weekend of June 10th – 14th was as hot as you can get. By the time he was done, four games, seven home runs, three in one game, only seven hits, all home runs
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. For the rest of the year he would hit only two home runs while garnering only 169 plate appearances. He deserved better
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
happy 4th everyone!
I remember doing the Hee Sop Choi chant a few times.
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Jul 4, 2011 12:33 PM PDT reply actions
bacon wrapped dogs
is that Ethier’s grill?
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Jul 4, 2011 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions
Awesome looking
How many pounds did you end up with?
It's not what you look like, when you're doin' what you're doin'
It's what you're doin' when you're doin' what you look like you're doin'!
i bought close to 7 pounds
one had bone-in, the other boneless (it’s all they had). not sure what the cooked, pulled weight is.
i also went lazy and got the sweet baby ray’s BBQ sauce. let’s see if i regret that or not but i wasnt too excited about standing over a stove for an hour constantly stirring.
Leftovers are great too
I like to just take some pork, zap it with peppers and shredded cheese and make sandwiches, adding Phillipes mustard of course
It's not what you look like, when you're doin' what you're doin'
It's what you're doin' when you're doin' what you look like you're doin'!
The
Dodgers did sell about 1000 more tickets than the Angels in their respective home and home series. However, for a frites that routinely sold over 50K per game at Dodger Stadium, that was around a 20% drop from 2009.
Garret Anderson as one of the worst participants in the home run derby ever?
dumb list.
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.
when is robar coming back/navarro getting cut?
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.
Gwynn everyday
And look who is back. I’m surprised with this lineup Miles isn’t batting fifth.
by Alex41592 on Jul 4, 2011 2:40 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
14
Games since Barajas went on DL, Donnie has split up the catching duties 50/50. Navarro did start 5 of first 7 games while Ellis has done the same in the last 7 games including today.
makes sense, Gordon needs to play everyday, and Velez can do everything Gordon can do sitting on the bench.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
Didn’t see this move coming. Hopefully Gordon improves in the minors some more and is called back up starting in August assumming Furcal is traded.
Gordon will be back when Furcal goes back on the DL at the break
Nothing is ever easy.
by drulenarendes on Jul 4, 2011 3:18 PM PDT up reply actions
Difficult but the right move
See you August 1st.
by Alex41592 on Jul 4, 2011 2:58 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I still have dreams of
HSC batting second. Fucking Jim Tracy. Seriously, I’ll never let go of the hate for that man.
Who is Karim Garcia? Who is he to challenge me?
by Who Is Karim Garcia? on Jul 4, 2011 2:56 PM PDT reply actions
I
Will say this, they have been fairly insistent that Trayvon needed a full year of AAA play and now 6 of the 7 players who have played outfield in Albuquerque have played in LA. (This includes Gibbons and Thames)
Shawn Marcum with a grand slam off of the Diamondback Ace.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
And then AZ
ran themselves out a big inning.
Who is Karim Garcia? Who is he to challenge me?
by Who Is Karim Garcia? on Jul 4, 2011 3:44 PM PDT up reply actions
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