Using the same glove he wielded in his inaugural Major League Baseball appearance, former Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres pitcher Chan Ho Park threw the ceremonial first pitch before the two teams’ season opener in South Korea.
Park, the first South Korean-born player to make his mark in the big leagues when he debuted with the Dodgers in 1994, acknowledged the roaring crowds filling Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome. Donning a Padres jersey, where he currently serves as an adviser, Park took to the mound and delivered the ball to San Diego’s current South Korean shortstop, Ha-Seong Kim.
Ahead of the game, Park expressed pride in how his accomplishments, along with those of his former Japanese teammate Hideo Nomo, who joined the Dodgers in 1995, have inspired younger generations of Asian players to aspire to reach the majors.
“When I look at all these Asian players today, I feel that the tree planted by Hideo Nomo has grown strong and the tree planted by Chan Ho Park has grown strong, and that the fruits of those trees are now leading the majors and inspiring new hope,” Park remarked.
Park holds the MLB record for most wins by an East Asian pitcher, compiling a 124-98 record with a 4.36 ERA. He earned All-Star honors in 2001, posting a 15-11 record with a 3.50 ERA for the Dodgers.
His illustrious 17-year MLB career included stints with the Texas Rangers, Padres, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Even after retiring in 2012, Park remains one of the most revered sports figures in South Korea, where many fondly recall how his heroics uplifted a nation grappling with a severe financial crisis in the late 1990s.
Since Park’s groundbreaking debut, a total of 25 South Koreans have graced the majors, including Kim, who clinched a Gold Glove last year as a versatile player. Notably, the Dodgers boast two of Japanese baseball’s brightest stars — two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani and starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who takes the mound in Thursday’s Game 2.
The Padres’ Japanese ace, Yu Darvish, stands as a potential contender to surpass Park’s Asian win record. At 37 years old, Darvish boasts 103 career wins heading into his opening-day start against the Dodgers. “My record of 124 wins needs to be surpassed at some point,” Park reflected. “And I truly hope Darvish is the one who achieves it.”
