[Sportschosun Reporter Jo Yoon-sun] Choo Shin-soo revealed the special benefits given to Major League Baseball players.
The October 10 episode of Kstar's "What Are You Leaving It For?" featured former MLB players Byung-hyun Kim, Choo Shin-soo, and Seung-hwan Oh.
The three also talked about the perks unique to MLB. Oh said, "MLB teams have not only luxury charter buses but also private jets. They even have people to carry the luggage." Choo added, "Players only need to carry their personal bags."
What drew the most attention was MLB's pension and gold card benefits. Oh said, "The longer your career, the higher your pension. If Choo Shin-soo starts receiving it at 62, he will get about 300 million won a year."
Choo Shin-soo, who played in MLB for 16 years, explained, "You receive it for the rest of your life. If I were to die in an unexpected accident, it would go to my wife. If neither of us were alive, it would be paid to our children." Kim said, "I would get about 250 million won."
Oh, who had the shortest MLB career among the three, said, "I think I would get about 100 million won." He then joked, "People usually say things like this proudly elsewhere, but in front of you two, it feels so small."
Choo Shin-soo also mentioned health insurance benefits. He said, "Medical costs in the U.S. are extremely expensive, but MLB insurance is really good." He added, "When I show my MLB insurance card at a hospital, even the people sitting at the front desk are surprised and ask, 'Does insurance like this really exist?'"
He went on to explain, "Almost everything is covered, and I barely have to pay anything. Immediate family members can also be covered by the insurance."
He also said, "Starting in your 10th year, MLB issues a gold card. With it, you are guaranteed two tickets to any MLB regular-season game, regardless of the team. They give you the best available seats among the remaining tickets," drawing envy from the others.
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
