After year of downs, Shin-Soo Choo ready to rise in 2012

CLEVELAND — It was a concise comment, but one that could loom large for the Indians during the upcoming season. Standing at his locker in Cleveland near the end of September, Shin-Soo Choo finally had his mind right again. “I know where I am right now,” Choo said.

Choo had been lost amidst off-field issues and on-field struggles that had the Indians’ star right fielder searching for some sign of his former self. The end result was a forgettable season, but one that Choo believes can serve as a turning point for the rest of his career, beginning with the 2012 campaign.

For the first time in his life, Choo discovered rock bottom. “I was always going up,” Choo said. “Everything was going up, and then this year everything went straight down to the bottom. I feel I’ve learned a lot. I learned about myself, not only baseball, but outside. I’ve learned from that.”

That was Choo’s May 2 arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol. It was a regrettable and embarrassing turn for South Korea’s poster boy. Choo was already…

more on this article at: After year of downs, Shin-Soo Choo ready to rise in 2012 | MLB.com: News.