Shin-Soo Choo donating $1K to each Texas Rangers minor leaguer

April 1 (UPI) -- Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo agreed to donate $1,000 to each minor league player in the organization, the team announced Wednesday.

Choo's donation will provide support to about 200 players who were impacted by MLB's temporary shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. The veteran player told reporters on a conference call Wednesday that he remembers the financial struggles when he played in the minors.

"I will never forget the minor leagues," Choo said, according to the Dallas Morning News. "I will never forget having to make that decision. Every day, I had to make a schedule of meals. I had to plan things out. I don't want players to have to do the same thing. I don't want them to have to worry about these kinds of things.

"People are really having a tough time. I can help. I can help people because of baseball and I want to give back."

Earlier this week, MLB owners agreed to pay minor leaguers about $400 each week through May. St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright also made a similar donation to minor league players last week.

Choo, 37, is entering the final season of a seven-year, $130 million contract that he signed with the Rangers as a free agent. He is scheduled to be the highest-paid Rangers player this season at $21 million.

In 1,619 career games with the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds and Rangers, Choo has recorded a .275 batting average with 213 home runs, 767 RBIs, 151 stolen bases and 1,645 hits.