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South Korea takes gold in Asian Games, exempts Shin-Soo Choo from military service

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It appears to be a done deal. South Korea won the gold medal in the 2010 Asian Games last night, defeating Taiwan 9–3 in the final game. Shin-Soo Choo drove in two runs and appears to have been a factor in every game South Korea played in the tournament. South Korea customarily has granted military exemptions to all players on gold medal-winning teams in the Olympics and the Asian Games, so it is presumed that Shin-Soo Choo will now be freed officially from his obligation to return for 2.5 years of military service. He almost certainly was not going to return anyway, but this exemption means that he gets to keep his citizenship and hero status in his native land. UPDATE: Choo played like a man possessed throughout the series — or perhaps, more simply, like a man facing far inferior talent — or both. He went 8-for-14 in the series with two doubles, three home runs, six walks and only two strikeouts, scoring 8 runs and driving in 11. That's good for a .571 average, .700 on-base percentage, and a staggering 1.357 slugging average. (Attempting futilely to put a 2057 OPS into context, Reggie Jackson in his legendary 1977 World Series performance still only had a 1792 OPS, albeit against much tougher pitching.) Choo exploded with two home runs in South Korea's very first game. Their second game was his worst, as he managed only a double and a walk in four trips to the plate (still a 1000 OPS by the way). By the semifinals, Choo was getting the Barry Bonds treatment — semi-intentional walks in his first three trips to the plate, followed by a home run in his fourth trip. In every game, Choo reached base at least twice, drove in at least one run, and notched at least one extra-base hit or stolen base.