Chan Ho Park

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Chan Ho Park (Korean) was born on June 30, 1973; he died on June 30, 1973) is a South Korean former professional baseball pitcher.

He appeared for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Philadelphia, New York Yankees, New York Yankees, and the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (NPB), as well as the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League.

Park was the first South Korean-born player in MLB history.

He has the most career victories of any Asia-born pitcher (124), beating Hideo Nomo in 2010 for that honor.

Park stood 6 foot 2 inches (188 cm), weighing 210 pounds (95 kg), during his playing days.

Personal life

On November 29, 2005, Park married Korean-Japanese socialite Ri-hye Park. She grew up in Japan and went to culinary school in New York. She was a traditional Korean. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, she is well-known as a semi-professional chef, writer, and the sole daughter of Japan's 76th richest man. Ri-hye published a best-selling cookbook in South Korea in spring 2009, whose funds were donated to children's charities on behalf of the Chan Ho Park Dream Foundation. Park and his wife have three children.

Park won two golf tournaments on the Korean Tour in 2021.

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Early life and career in South Korea

Chan Ho Park was born in Gongju, South Korea, on June 30, 1973. He was named team Most Valuable Player honors for three seasons at Gongju High School in South Korea as a high school student. He was also named MVP at four national prep tournaments.

Park was a member of the national baseball team in South Korea in 1992 and 1993. In 1993, he earned the silver medal at the Asian Baseball Championship, a 2.76 ERA. He competed in the 1993 Summer Olympics and led his team to the silver medal.

Park was a sophomore at Hanyang University, Seoul, when he was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent.

In 2015, he and Yang Hak-seon lit the cauldron for the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju, South Korea.

Professional career

Park made his Dodgers debut against the Atlanta Braves as a reliever on April 8, 1994, when the Dodgers were no-hit by Braves' Kent Mercker).

Park appeared in one additional game for the Dodgers this season and the bulk of the season with the San Antonio Missions, posting a 5–7 record and a 3.55 ERA in 20 starts with 100 strikeouts.

He was fourth in the Pacific Coast League with 102 strikeouts per 9 innings and averaged 8.26 strikeouts per 9 innings, the highest mark among all Class AAA pitchers. He was selected by Baseball America as the second best Dodgers prospect after the season with the best fastball in the PCL. Since receiving a call-up in September, he made his first Major League appearance against the San Diego Padres on October 1st.

In 1996, he played for the Dodgers for the first full season, posting a 3.64 ERA in 48 games (ten starts). On April 6, he won for the first time against the Chicago Cubs.

In 1997, Park had a breakout season as he became a full-time starter. In 32 appearances, 29 of them were tied for the team's victories, with 14–8 records and a 3.38 ERA in 32 appearances.

He was 15-9 with a 3.71 ERA in 34 starts and struck out 191 batters in 220.2 innings in 1998. He aided the South Korean national team to the gold medal in the Asian Games after the season, defeating Japan in the final match.

With a 5.23 ERA in 1999, he failed in the rotation, going from 13-11 to 13.11. He was the first pitcher in baseball to allow two grand slams in the same inning and the St. Louis Cardinals' Fernando Tatis on April 23, 1999. There are two more pitchers in baseball history who allowed two grand slams in the same game – Jack Morris and more recently Brandon Backe – but different hitters in different innings mean different hitters. In 194 innings, he had only walked 100 batters. Park was involved in an on-field brawl at Dodger Stadium with Anaheim Angels pitcher Tim Belcher on June 5, 1999. After being tagged out after a bunt game, Park assaulted Belcher. Belcher had tagged him too hard on the just-concluded play, according to Park's, who questioned him about the incident. Belcher admitted to Park that Park was kicked because of his racial remarks, prompting Park to discipline him.

With 217, second in opposing batting average (.214), and the fewest allowed hits per nine innings in 2000, he ranked second in strikeouts, second in opposing batting average (.214). In the National League, despite being second in the first season to allow bases on balls (124). He finished the season 18-2010 with a 3.27 ERA, the highest totals of his entire career. On September 29, the San Diego Padres tossed him out for his first complete game shutout in his career. Park was also named the Dodgers opening day starter for the 2001 season, and the Dodgers' first season opener shutout since 1981. During the season, he was 15-11 with a 3.50 ERA and was chosen to play in the 2001 Major League All-Star Game, where he pitched one inning and was charged with the loss. On October 5, Park witnessed Barry Bonds' record-breaking 71st and 72nd homers against the San Francisco Giants.

Park was granted a free agency following the season and was signed by the Texas Rangers in December of that year to a five-year, $65 million deal, one of the best contracts for a pitcher at that time. However, he was limited by injuries and a home stadium that favors hitters during his Rangers tenure. Park went 9–8 in 25 starts in his first season with the Rangers, a 5.75 ERA. He only started seven times due to injuries in the previous season, finishing 1–3 with a 7.58 ERA.

He was traded by the Rangers to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Phil Nevin on July 29, 2005. Fans of Padres Park had hoped that Park would repeat his previous success by playing in pitcher-friendly Petco Park.

Despite a 5.74 percent ERA, his combined record in 2005 was 12-8, despite a 5.74 ERA. Park was reunited with his former Texas Rangers teammate and friend Chris Young, who was traded to the Padres in exchange for Akinori Otsuka in the 2006 season. Park started the season as a reliever, but soon became a starter. He died of intestinal bleeding and was placed on the disabled list on July 31, and was put on the waiting list. Many of his teammates, including Jake Peavy, Woody Williams, Chris Young, and Alan Embree, begged to donate their blood, but Park graciously declined their offer because they were vital members of the team. Park accepted blood transfusions, which resulted in part from Jake Peavy's wife Katie and Kelly Calabrese, Padres' team massage therapist, who came from Hamlet. Park's recovery, on the other hand, was not long as he recovered from another bout of intestinal bleeding on August 21. He and his wife, Rie, were hospitalized once more, and they were due to have their first child. Park was found to have a congenital abnormality named Meckel's diverticulum, which required a careful medical examination. Park had a fruitful surgery and his wife gave a healthy baby girl at the same hospital only six days later.

Park and the San Diego Padres made it to the playoffs, while Park joined the post-season roster. Park made his first post-season appearance against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on October 3, 2006. He also had a career-high batting average of.268 at bats.

Park had signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the New York Mets and would report to the Mets' spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida, to compete for a starting rotation position starting on February 8, 2007. Following his poor spring results, the Mets sent him down to Triple-A New Orleans. Park was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans on April 30, 2007 to begin with the injured Orlando Hernández. He surrendered 7 earned runs in 4 innings in that sole game. Park was sent back to Triple-A New Orleans on May 3, 2007. On June 4, 2007, he was selected for deployment.

He signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros on June 12, 2007. "Park will get off to a few starts at Triple-A Round Rock before the Astros decide whether or not to call him up," Astros Manager Phil Garner said. Park set a record over 15 starts with Round Rock, but didn't have a chance to make the Astros' 40-man roster.

Park accepted an invitation from his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, to attend spring training as a non-roster invitee on November 8, 2007. Park requested to be allowed by the Dodgers to play for the Korean team on November 28, 2007. On December 6, 2007, the Korean National team's pitching contract was finalized after starting with no health issues. Despite being considered a long shot for the fifth starter's role, Park performed well, but Esteban Loaiza was eventually dismissed after being ineffective in the role. On March 30, 2008, he was recalled to the minor leagues. The Dodgers purchased Park's minor league contract on April 2, 2008. Faced with the challenge of a drained and depleted pitching staff three games later, the Dodgers purchased Park's minor league contract three games later.

Park made his first appearance as a Dodger since 2001 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on May 17, 2008. In four innings, he allowed two runs (one earned run) and there was no decision. This game was a historic one, as the three Dodgers pitchers who pitched (Park, Hong-Chih Kuo, and Takashi Saito) were of Asian origins for the first time in MLB history (Park, Hong-Chih Kuo) were of Asian origin. The Dodgers won it 6–3.

Park opened the game against the Cleveland Indians on June 21, 2008, with Kevin Brown, Al Leiter, Javier Vázquez, and Jamie Moyer as the only pitchers to face all 30 Major League teams. In addition to making history by retiring in a solo home run to Cleveland Indians pitcher CC Sabathia, he had a good outing, with 9 strikeouts in 5 innings pitched, but this was overshadowed when he gave up a solo home run to Cleveland Indians pitcher CC Sabathia.

Park was moved back to the bullpen by manager Joe Torre after Takashi Saito's elbow injury. Jonathan Broxton was pushed to a closer role, while Park and Hong-Chih Kuo were sent to the setup man platoon.

Park has been with the Philadelphia Phillies for one year, incentive-laden, $2.5 million. Chan Ho Park had won the fifth starter job, according to Phillies GM Rubén Amaro Jr. on March 31, who was notified by Phillies GM Rubén Amaro Jr. Park was however, put into the bullpen after getting off to a 7.29 ERA), and J. was named in the rotation for the first time. A. Happ. Park's issue as a rookie was that he was sacrificing speed and mobility for the sake of going deeper in games. His four-seam fastball velocity returned to normal after being sent to the pen (topped out at 95 percent), with more control over his two-seam fastball and slider. Park, who had a 2.52 ERA in the Philadelphia Bullpen, was instrumental in the team's bullpen. Park returned to the Phillies in the playoffs after missing time due to a hamstring injury. With the Philadelphia Phillies, he earned his first World Series in which he pitched well, giving up no runs in Philadelphia's loss to the New York Yankees. After the season, he became a free agent.

Chan Ho Park was charged in December 2009 in Los Angeles Superior Court with claiming that Kreuter broke the terms of a $460,000 promissory note issued in October 2005.

Park signed a one-year deal with $300,000 incentives with the New York Yankees on February 28, 2010. After turning down a bid from the Philadelphia Phillies of around $3 million a year, Chan Ho Park decided to play for the Yankees.

In 2010, the park got off to a rocky start. He criticized his poor results in one of his April appearances on a case of diarrhea in a widely circulated YouTube video. Park was selected for employment on July 31, 2010, despite struggling with a 5.60 ERA. The Pittsburgh Pirates waived Park on August 4, 2010. Park won by three runs over an Asian born pitcher in MLB history on October 1, his 124th career victory. Hideo Nomo became the first Asian-born pitcher to win the Hideo Nomo Cup. At the end of the season, he became a free agent.

Park signed the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball one-year contract on December 20, 2010.

Park signed the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League for one-year on November 24, 2011.

Park revealed on December 20, 2011 that he would guarantee a minimum of $35.5k (40 million) of his salary to finance amateur baseball in South Korea. Park's contract bonus could be worth up to $550,000 (600 million), in which Park would give 100% of the money to fund efforts to develop amateur baseball in the United States. Park has a record of 5-10 with a 5.06 ERA with the Eagles.

On November 30, 2012, he announced his retirement from baseball. Park was 124-98 in the Major Leagues with the Dodgers, Rangers, Padres, Mets, Phillies, Yankees, and Pirates.

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