Photo: Malingering from Los Angeles, California, USA / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Choi Hee-seop is a pioneer I have real time for. Born in Yeongam County, South Korea, the 196cm first baseman became the first Korean-born position player in Major League Baseball, suiting up for the Cubs, Marlins and Dodgers before returning to play in the KBO. That towering frame brought genuine power, but what stays with me is the courage it took to cross an ocean into a different language and culture and compete. Korean players succeeding abroad feels normal now, yet someone had to open that door first, and the hardship of that generation shouldn't be underestimated. He's a trailblazer who reminds me there's real value simply in daring to try.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Choi Hee-seop
- Name (Japanese)
- 崔煕渉
- Reading
- ちぇ・ひそぷ
- Born
- March 16, 1979 (age 47)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Goat
- Origin
- Yeongam County, South Jeolla, South Korea
- Height
- 196 cm
- Occupation
- baseball player
2. Background
- University
- Korea University
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B4%94%E7%85%95%E6%B8%89
Frequently asked questions
When was Choi Hee-seop born?
Born March 16, 1979 (age 47).
Where is Choi Hee-seop from?
Choi Hee-seop is from Yeongam County, South Jeolla, South Korea.
What does Choi Hee-seop do?
Choi Hee-seop works as baseball player.
How tall is Choi Hee-seop?
Choi Hee-seop is 196 cm.
Baseball player — see all → · More people from South Korea →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.