Hee-seop Choi
He smashed a towering cultural barrier, becoming the first Korean-born position player to step onto a Major League Baseball field.
Born 1979 (age 47)·Korean baseball player·Birthday: March 16·Generation X
Biography
Hee-seop Choi's journey from South Korea to the major leagues was a story of quiet determination and a powerful swing. Signed by the Chicago Cubs in 1999, his path was paved with high expectations and the immense pressure of representing a nation. While his MLB career was marked by flashes of prodigious power—including a memorable 2005 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers where he hit 15 home runs—it was also a nomadic one, shaped by injuries and the constant challenge of adjustment. His true legacy, however, was cemented the moment he took the field for the Cubs in 2002, opening the door for every Korean position player who dreamed of the big leagues. After returning to the KBO and winning a championship with the Kia Tigers, Choi retired as a pivotal figure in the globalization of America's pastime.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Hee-seop was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Hee-seop Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Hee-seop's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first Korean-born position player to appear in a Major League Baseball game in 2002.
- Hit 15 home runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005, showcasing his notable power potential.
- Won a Korean Series championship with the Kia Tigers in the KBO League in 2009.
- Played professionally in both MLB and the KBO over a career spanning more than a decade.
Did You Know?
He was traded from the Cubs to the Marlins in 2004 for a player to be named later, who turned out to be All-Star first baseman Derrek Lee.
Choi's first major league hit was a home run off future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson.
He is known for his exceptionally tall stature for a Korean player of his era, standing 6'5".
After retirement, he served as a coach for the South Korean national baseball team.
“A home run feels the same whether you hit it in Seoul or Chicago.”
