Unfortunate Golden Lion Ace

Choi Hyun-ho’s fastball clocks only 134 kilometers per hour, but his curveball and sinker drop like waterfalls, his slider dashes through the strike zone right past the batter, and on top of this, he has razor-sharp control.

Choi’s talents were on display at Friday’s finals of the 58th Golden Lion Pennant High School Baseball Tournament, co-sponsored by Dong-A Ilbo and the Korea Baseball Association.

The pitches of Deoksu Information High’s ace sidearm pitcher Choi, 18, who was picked as the best pitcher of the tournament, grew more powerful as the innings went by. Although he gave up four hits in the first three innings with no strikeouts, he pitched wonderfully for the last six, only giving up one hit and a walk while striking out six, throwing the first shutout game of this year’s tournament. In a way, it seemed like a protest to the pro teams that did not draft him.

Choi is responsible for four of the team’s five wins, with an ERA of 1.06, and in the Presidential Cup Tournament held in April he led his team to second place. Nonetheless, he was not signed to any of the professional teams that held their second-round drafts last Wednesday.

The reason is his slow ball and small frame (1m79, 80kg), according to LG scout Chung Sung-joo.

“His curveball and ball control is first-class and his baseball sense is great, but his flaw is that he has no decisive outstanding feature to show off,” said Chung, adding, “we got the chance to acquire Wonkwang University’s sidearm Sohn Sang-jung, so we gave up Choi.”

Nevertheless, being passed up by the pros left a pain in the heart of young Choi.

“I thought LG would pick me, but I guess I’m not good enough,” said Choi, and expressed his regrets, “Now I want to throw even better in the final game.”

Currently the only way Choi can join a pro team is by going through an open test and become a “declared” player, otherwise known as a trainee. That was the road taken by Hanhwa’s Jang Jong-hoon and Doosan’s surprise star Sohn Shi-hyun. However, Deoksu High’s manager, Choi Jae-ho, does not favor this option.

“I would advise him to go to a University, rather than becoming a trainee with an uncertain future,” said Choi Jae-ho.

Choi Hyun-ho says, “I am talking to Konkuk University,” and biting his lips, added, “I want to increase my ball speed and after four years become a proud pro.”

Hwan Soo Zang zangpabo@donga.com