Indians’ Choo is hoping to avoid military call

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Shin-Soo Choo was back in the Cleveland Indians’ lineup Thursday — with his fingers crossed.

Choo said he feels just fine and is confident he can have a good season. Where he’s hoping for a little luck is in getting out of an impending two-year military commitment in his native South Korea that could sideline his blossoming career.

“There’s a little bit of a chance,” Choo said after returning to the Indians after playing for his country in the World Baseball Classic.

He hopes that helping his country to a second-place finish to Japan will be spur South Korean government officials to waive his mandatory military obligations. He and three other players on the South Korean team have yet to serve and must do so by age 30. Choo turns 27 on July 13.

Other members of the team had their obligations waived after winning the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics. A win over rival Japan in the championship game would have helped, but South Korea lost 5-3 in 10 innings. But Choo hit a home run in the game, as he did in a semifinal win over Venezuela in which he raised an arm in celebration as he rounded the bases.

“That was the best feeling I’ve had in a game and I never raised my arm like that before,” Choo said.

Whether South Korean government officials feel good enough about it give him a break should be known by the start of the Indians’ season April 6.

“We’ll see in the next week to 10 days,” Choo said. “Maybe somebody will speak up, but I’m not sure who.”

Seung-Kyoo Kang, president of the Korea Baseball Association and a lawmaker for the Grand National Party told The Korea Times on Tuesday: “We need something to reward them because they raised our national brand overseas andw made people happy. As a lawmaker, I will seek legislation for the exemption.”

Choo said that playing for his country was the most thrilling experience of his career, but said he will put that behind him and focus now on the Indians’ season.

He played only two games in the outfield and served as the designated hitter in other games in the WBC under a pre-tournament agreement between the Indians and South Korean team. The Indians made that request to protect Choo, who had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in September 2007. When reports came out of the Korean camp three weeks ago that Choo had a sore arm, the Indians were very concerned.

“Me too,” Choo said. “I was scared because I didn’t want to miss the season here. But it was nothing and was gone in a couple days. Just some soreness, no problems.”

Choo started in right field Thursday in an exhibition game against the Los Angeles Angels. Manager Eric Wedge said he’ll also use Choo in left field, too.

“Left, right, no problem,” Choo said. “I did that last year. But I am going to go out there and work on both.”

In 94 games after rejoining the Indians on May 30, Choo hit .309 with 14 homers and 66 RBIs.

“He’s a big part of our plans,” Wedge said. “But he’s still a young player making adjustments.”