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It seems like that they were made from the same mold. They almost look like twins. Both of them were born in 1971. They went to the same college in the same year as sports elite. They also advanced into US via Japan at similar time. However, the thing that really strikes me - much more than these other things - is their “ life adversity ” and “ spirit of defiance ”.
Let's look back a little bit. Long ago on a balmy day in spring, a guy with thick shoulders passed by me while I was strolling through campus with some friends. One of them tapped me on the shoulder and asked, “ Do you know who that is? ” He answsered without waiting for my response, “ He is Sang-hoon Lee (English nickname: Samson Lee), a baseball player. He's not famous, though.&rdquo
At that time, Samson Lee was so nameless that even I, a crazy baseball enthusiast, did not know of him. But he became a national star several months later by making 15 consecutive strike-outs - thereby breaking the record - and becoming the only 20-win pitcher in Korean professional baseball that year. However, Lee was not content with the title of best Korean pitcher. He left his team, and knocked on the door of Boston Red Socks. It didn't work. He therefore made a detour to Japan.
Kyung-joo Choi (English nickname: Tank Choi) had similar experiences. He aggressively sought out new opportunities, not being content with people's praise that he had a potential to be the number-one golfer in Korea. At length, he likewise went to Japan - the country of exclusive territories.
Samson Lee had a very tough time in the first season in Japan (such as being homered by the first batter he faced in Japan) but next year became a powerful closer who could get the team out of any jam. Meanwhile, Tank Lee won 2 Japanese golf tournaments and instantly soared as a newsmaker.
After the 1999 season in Japan, Samson reasserted his challenge to major leagues, and made a triumphal entry into Boston Red Socks. It really knocked the wind out of him, though, because he had to abandon all the stable income and reputation he had worked to build in Japan. In this respect, Tank Choi did better. He left Japanese golf tournaments and their guarantee of big money without hesitation for USA, and shortly achieved his lifelong dream of being the first Korean to acquire PGA qualification.
Some say that the levels of major league and Asian baseball are completely different, and that the wall of PGA is ten times higher than that of LPGA.
Nobody is sure if these two challengers will make it in a new land. But one thing for sure is we have to watch their development, be patient and ruminate over how courageous they are to boldly accept challenges few other people even dare think about.