Using the glove he cherished from his inaugural major league appearance, former Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres pitcher Chan Ho Park delivered the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the season opener in South Korea.
Park, who initiated his Major League Baseball journey in 1994 with Los Angeles as the premier South Korean-born player in the big leagues, acknowledged the roaring crowds filling Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome. Wearing a jersey half adorned with each team’s emblem, Park confidently went into his wind-up and delivered the ball to the Padres’ current South Korean shortstop, Ha-Seong Kim.
Before the game, Park, currently serving as an adviser with San Diego, reflected on his accomplishments and those of his former Japanese teammate, Hideo Nomo, as inspirations for younger generations of Asian players aspiring to reach the majors. Nomo joined the Dodgers in 1995.
“As I observe the multitude of Asian players today, I sense that the seeds planted by Hideo Nomo and Chan Ho Park have flourished, yielding talents that now lead the majors and instill fresh hope,” Park expressed. With an MLB record for the most wins by an East Asian pitcher, Park amassed a 124-98 record with a 4.36 ERA.
His notable achievements include an All-Star appearance in 2001, where he posted a 15-11 record with a 3.50 ERA for the Dodgers. Over his illustrious 17-year MLB career, Park also represented the Texas Rangers, Padres, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Retired in 2012, Park remains a revered sports figure in South Korea, where his heroic performances uplifted a nation navigating a profound financial crisis in the late 1990s.
Since Park’s debut, a total of 25 South Koreans have graced the majors, including Kim, who secured a Gold Glove as a utility player last year. The Los Angeles Dodgers boast arguably the two most prominent stars in Japanese baseball—two-way phenomenon Shohei Ohtani and starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, slated to take the mound on Thursday.
Padres’ Japanese ace Yu Darvish stands as a potential contender to surpass Park’s Asian win record. However, Darvish, at 37 years old, endured a challenging opening day start against the Dodgers, lasting only 3 2/3 innings before being relieved by Tom Cosgrove with the game tied at one. Darvish’s pitch count reached 72.
“My record of 124 wins is bound to be surpassed at some point,” Park remarked. “And I genuinely hope Darvish is the one who achieves it.”
