BRADENTON, Fla. -- You never get a second chance to make a first impression. And things probably could have gone a bit better for the Pirates and their new first baseman, Ji-Man Choi.
The past few weeks have had a few bumps in the road, including Choi being the first player the Pirates took to arbitration in six years and the team objecting to him playing in the World Baseball Classic next month since he is still recovering from an offseason surgery to his right elbow. The latter appeared to be a sore spot, as he released a statement through his agency to Korean media outlets that he was "extremely disappointed.