Choo named Indians` best player for 2nd straight year

Cleveland Indians star Choo Shin-soo has been named Indians Man of the Year by the Cleveland chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America for the second straight year.

Choo is just the third Indian to win the award for two consecutive years since the honor was established in 1968. He is also the team’s first to hit more than .300 and more than 20 home runs and steal more than 20 bases in consecutive years.

At the Golden Glove awards ceremony in Seoul Sunday, Jeong Keun-woo, 28, second baseman of the Korean league champion SK Wyverns, called Choo the most successful among four players born in 1982 who led Korea to the 2000 IBAF World Junior AAA Baseball Championship in Edmonton, Canada.

Lee Seung-yeop, a Korean slugger who recently moved from the Yomiuri Giants to the Orix Buffalos of Japan, also praised Choo, referring to his stellar performance at the Guangzhou Asian Games.

hanwshin@donga.com