Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder and first baseman Connor Cho (31), is he a Korean player?
Joe has often been mentioned as an example when talking about Korean Major League players. Heo Gu-yeon, president of the KBO, also mentioned the name메이저놀이터.
However, I couldn’t find any record stating that he was of Korean descent. I had no clue except that his mother’s name was a very common name among Koreans.
The easiest way to check this is to ask the person directly. So I asked.
After meeting MK Sports after a home game against the Chicago White Sox at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA on the 8th (Korean time), Joe answered this absurd question, “My grandparents are from Hong Kong and I was born in the United States. So, I am Chinese American. I am not of Korean descent,” he replied kindly.
When the reporter explained that his mother’s name was very common among Koreans, he was surprised and replied, “I didn’t know at all.”
Now let’s talk about the game. On this day, Joe played right fielder No. 7 and hit 4 hits in 5 at-bats, 2 points and 1 RBI. The 4 hits is tied with the personal record.
“It was a really fun and great game,” he said. The atmosphere was also really good. It was also cool that the crowd were all dressed in black. When Andrew McCutchen was introduced, I briefly went back to being a fan,” he said, enjoying the opening match.
Regarding director Derek Shelton’s comment that ‘this is the real opening match’, he said, “I think you expressed it accurately. He was really fun,” he agreed.
He continued, “I think hitting is contagious. When a runner is out, I focus more on the team than on myself to achieve the goal. Today, both our team and the stadium atmosphere were full of energy. It was awesome,” he said.
I did not forget to praise Brian Reynolds, who recorded 6 RBIs. “I think what I’m showing now is on a different level. He is a player who makes all of us better hitters. He shows preparation before the game and relieves the burden on other hitters during the game,” he said about his presence.
Joe was drafted by the Pirates in the first round of the 2014 draft, but it took a turn for the worse this season to make his big-league debut in Pittsburgh. Because of him, this opening match must have been even more special.
He said, “It’s a scene I’ve been imagining since I was nominated in the draft,” and said, “It’s really special to come back here and wear a Pirates uniform.”
Coach Shelton said that the reason why Joe, a right-handed hitter, was appointed against right-hander Lucas Giolito that day was because “the opposing pitcher is a reverse split pitcher who uses a changeup,” and said, “If you send the batted ball forward, good things happen. We did a lot of that today.