Pioneer Pitcher Park Represents South Korea with Pride

Peter O’Malley’s first trip to South Korea was in 1982 when he met with the first Korean Baseball Commissioner Gen. Jyong-Chul Suh, offering his encouragement and the Dodgers’ assistance as the start-up professional Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) launched.

That led to the introduction to Heo Koo-Youn, a former athlete and Korean broadcaster who assisted the KBO in its early stages. In 1984, O’Malley invited Heo to Spring Training at Dodgertown, Vero Beach, Florida to learn more about the Dodger way of playing baseball and training techniques. “O’Malley emphasized the globalization of baseball and invited me,” Heo said. “That, in the big picture, changed and influenced my life. It also influenced Korean baseball a lot. I would say it was the turning point of our nation’s baseball.” Sung Min Kim, Blogs.fangraphs.com, “How One Man Changed Korean Baseball,” June 14, 2019

As Heo was granted unprecedented access to major league players, coaches and executives, he very enthusiastically appreciated all of the baseball training and knowledge. Heo recalls O’Malley telling his colleagues, “Let Mr. Heo do whatever he wants at the camp. He has no limitations.” Ibid.

Heo first met Dr. Frank Jobe at the camp, not knowing the highly-respected orthopedic surgeon’s background. But, he saw that Dodger star pitcher Fernando Valenzuela was icing his arm after a start. “Why is [Valenzuela] icing his arm? In Korea, we have pitchers take a hot bath after throwing,” Heo asked Dr. Jobe. Jobe explained to Heo that heat was “no way to treat an arm.” Ibid.

Upon his return home, Heo broadcast games on television and informed viewers that he learned that pitchers should be icing their arms after throwing, not going into hot water which will not produce the desired results. He told as many people as he could, including managers, coaches and parents about what he had learned, sometimes receiving scorn from traditionalists. But, eventually his sound advice was understood and respected.

Heo was taught about using the back-handed catch as it was quicker than how Korean infielders were learning and practicing taking the ball on their chest and with both hands. He was again able to impart this knowledge with others to advance the game. Heo also recommended to the general manager of the professional Samsung Lions, who had just lost the 1984 Korean Series to the underdog Lotte Giants in seven games, that they make a trip to Dodgertown for advanced training and instruction.

So, as relationships developed into friendships, O’Malley invited the KBO’s Samsung Lions to train at Dodgertown for 1985 Spring Training. Thirty-seven years later, Heo was named KBO Commissioner.

The Dodgers became the first major league team to host a Korean professional team. When the Dodgers opened their Spring Training exhibition schedule with a game against the Lions on March 9, 1985, it was a historic day. It marked the first time a Korean professional team played against a U.S. major league team. Major League Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth was in attendance along with Korea’s Baseball Commissioner Suh. Bowie Kuhn, former Baseball Commissioner (1969-1984), was also an O’Malley guest at Dodgertown’s Holman Stadium.

“Baseball is rapidly growing throughout the world,” said O’Malley in 1985, “and this exchange between our two countries will help enhance the development of the game in Korea.”Los Angeles Dodgers official press release, February 27, 1985

A bronze plaque was placed at Holman Stadium, Dodgertown to commemorate the historic training camp and March 9, 1985 game. At the end of that season, the Lions won the Korean championship. Samsung returned to train at Dodgertown four more times (1992, 1993, 1995 and 1997).

In 1986, O’Malley kept the friendly relations going by sending batting instructor Leo Posada and infield instructor Chico Fernandez to Samsung Lions spring training camp in Masan, South Korea. 

On August 9, 1989, O’Malley welcomed Lee Young Hee, the Korean Commissioner of Baseball, to Dodger Stadium. They talked baseball together during a game. As a result, Jong-Hwan Park, a top assistant to Lee was invited by O’Malley to spend a one-year fellowship with the Dodger organization starting in January, 1990, learning all aspects of the front office and baseball in America. In May 1990, O’Malley hosted in Los Angeles the eight team presidents of KBO teams for an in-depth seminar on a wide-range of subjects presented by Dodger department heads.

On September 9, 1990, the Dodgers were the first Major League Baseball team to have a regular-season radio broadcast in Korean on KAZN AM 1300 in the Los Angeles area. There were hundreds of thousands of Korean Americans in the Southern California market and O’Malley’s outreach via radio was an important way for them to learn about and follow the Dodgers. Jake Doherty and Sean Waters, Los Angeles Times, April 3, 1994 O’Malley ensured that Dodger Stadium was inclusive, family-friendly and a safe, welcoming environment for fans of all ages and ethnicities.  

O’Malley had regular interactions with the local Korean community. He was invited to join the Korean-American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles, becoming the first president of a Los Angeles-based business who was not Korean to join the organization. Plus his many friendships in Seoul piqued his interest in pursuing talent and player signings from Asia. Mike Downey, Los Angeles Times, “No Shock: O’Malley Does it With Class,” January 7, 1997 And he would find just the right person for the job.

In 1991, South Korea-born Chan Ho Park traveled to the United States for a tournament in Long Beach, California where he and his teammates won and then visited Universal Studios. They were treated to a game at Dodger Stadium while touring in Los Angeles. Park recalls going to the Top of the Park gift store at the stadium and trying to find some small souvenir item, like pencils, to take home with him to share with some Kongju High School teammates back home. But, a shiny Dodger blue jacket caught his attention and, after debating in his mind, he returned to his home in Kongju (also known as Gongju-si) with that and without the pencils.   

As he peered down on Dodger Stadium’s lush green grass from high above and behind home plate, Park fantasized that maybe he could pitch down on that field some day. Maybe he’d wear a real Dodger jacket. A dream, but how realistic that a teen-ager from South Korea could possibly end up in the major leagues?

The Dodgers have a long history of searching for the best talent no matter where it is in the world. They signed Fernando Valenzuela from Mexico in 1979 and “Fernandomania” took the baseball world by storm in 1981. In 1984, they signed Craig Shipley, the first Australian-born player to make it to the big leagues in almost 100 years when he made his debut in 1986. They set their sights on the possibility of signing a player from Asia, where the O’Malley family had invested decades of goodwill and made countless friends. 

O’Malley admired pioneers. His father Walter was one, who had opened the West Coast for Major League Baseball, relocating the Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1958, after an unsuccessful 10-year effort to keep the team in Brooklyn with a privately-built domed stadium to replace aging Ebbets Field. The same year the Giants moved in tandem from New York to San Francisco. That made America’s pastime truly national. Walter was an equal partner and Dodger stockholder and a member of the Dodger Board of Directors that supported Branch Rickey’s signing of Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in the majors, initially to a minor league contract in 1945 and later to the Dodgers in 1947.

Pioneers are willing to take the road never before traveled, subdue fears, and forge their own path. This was also Chan Ho Park’s story. 

It was 1991 when Dodger scout Bobby Darwin and Dodger Director, Scouting Terry Reynolds first saw Park pitch at an international friendship tournament in Long Beach. “These were 17- and 18-year-olds, and in comparison to the other kids, his performance was eye-popping,” Reynolds recalled in 1994 Maryann Hudson, Los Angeles Times, January 12, 1994 . The tournament included teams from the United States, Japan and South Korea. “Even at 17, Park’s fastball was outstanding. In fact, the kid has all the physical tools to be a major league pitcher. But coming from another country, and being unable to speak our language yet, makes it tough for him. He also needs to learn our organization and get settled mentally.” Phil Elderkin, The Christian Science Monitor, March 25, 1994

The Dodger scouting department kept their eyes on the exceptional pitching prospect, who could light up the radar gun with his fastball touching 99 mph, then pitching for Hanyang University in Seoul. Dodger scouts watched him pitch at the 1993 Asian Baseball Championship tournament in Perth, Australia and international scout Jim Stoeckel saw Park at the 1993 World University Games in Buffalo, New York and felt he could help the Dodgers, sooner rather than later.

When O’Malley was introduced to Park’s representative, Los Angeles-based architect Steve Kim and heard more about the outstanding pitcher with the potential to be fast-tracked to the Dodgers, he wanted to meet Park – in person. In September, 1993, Dodger President O’Malley, along with team physician Dr. Jobe, traveled to Seoul to introduce himself to Park and Park’s parents.

“I remember exactly; he (O’Malley) came to my school in Korea in 1993,” Park recalled. “He came to meet me and the principal, and after that meeting, he came to my dormitory to meet me and introduced himself. I didn’t really understand why he was there, I thought he was just another American. Exactly two months later, he and I were at the same table signing a contract.” Mikey Hirano Culross, Rafu Shimpo, September 4, 2014

Dr. Jobe physically examined 6-foot-2 Park and found that he was sound overall, but had “a slight overgrowth of bone in his pitching elbow,” which may have developed from overuse, as it typically did not show up in pitchers until later in their careers. Maryann Hudson, Los Angeles Times, March 18, 1994 “It doesn’t mean that something is wrong, but we need to have him under a good pitching program that doesn’t allow him to hurt his elbow,” the legendary doctor who devised the first Tommy John surgery said when Park launched his professional career. Ibid.

All the signs for signing Park were aligning. However, there was the issue of mandatory military service (minimum of 21 months to 36 months depending on the branch of service) for Korean men. That requirement had prevented other talented Korean baseball players from coming to the majors. When Park’s situation was discussed, it was agreed that the government would defer Park’s commitment, though not waive it. 

The Dodgers, at one time in the early 1980s, were interested in Sun Dong-yol, a right-handed pitcher that caught the attention of scout Ralph Avila and Dodger Vice President and General Manager Al Campanis when Sun pitched in the 1982 Baseball World Cup in Seoul. The Dodgers attempted to sign Sun for $600,000, but Korean players were restricted from playing overseas. Sung Min Kim, Blogs.fangraphs.com, “How One Man Changed Korean Baseball,” June 14, 2019 Military service added another layer of complexity. In 1984, when the Olympic Baseball eight-team exhibition tournament was played at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, Sun was on the South Korean team and he enjoyed a long career as a nine-time KBO All-Star and three-time league MVP. Sun later managed for two KBO teams.   

With the waiver for the military set, an elated O’Malley announced at a January 11, 1994 press conference at the Oxford Palace Hotel in Koreatown, Los Angeles that the Dodgers had signed 20-year-old Chan Ho Park. “He is definitely a major league prospect, although the timing is uncertain,” O’Malley said. “He could start next season anywhere from Double A to Triple A to the majors.” Maryann Hudson, Los Angeles Times, January 12, 1994 It was announced that Park would receive a $1.2 million signing bonus, which compared closely to the $1.3 million the Dodgers paid pitcher Darren Dreifort, their first-round selection in the June, 1993 amateur draft. Park was also to be assigned a full-time interpreter and attend English classes at a language center in Santa Monica, CA.

Park had no mentor to look up to from Korea who had been in the major leagues. He knew little English but committed to study it as a second language. He knew little about Los Angeles or the Dodgers, for that matter. Oh, and the expectations were high.

Park explained his internal conflict, “I was tormented by unspeakable agonies of being in a foreign country. I always missed my family and homeland. I also had to overcome subtle discrimination that did not readily show outwardly. Big and small decisions in everyday life became worrisome to me. One time, I belabored and hesitated over which table to sit when I had to eat with other players. Even when I needed something, I was the last to put in a request. I had to wait before my turn. What I wanted so badly was for even just one person to come and be nice to me. I earnestly wanted that.” Chan Ho Park autobiography, 2014

O’Malley was determined to make Park comfortable in America, informing Park’s parents that he would take on the role of a “second” father to him and treat him as his own “son.” O’Malley was patient, taught him words and phrases in English and was a good listener. They frequently got together during Spring Training at Dodgertown and drove around Vero Beach together as O’Malley calmed and encouraged the young man. His welfare was a top priority. O’Malley invited Park to join him for the annual St. Patrick’s Day party at Dodgertown, one of the highlights of the spring. Normally, players are not included as guests, but O’Malley made the exception to put Park at ease and experience some of the flavor of the Irish. For one night, the pitcher wore Irish green and was affectionately known as “Chan O’Park”! Before the audience, he even lip-synched some traditional Irish songs. At a Dodger team gathering, Park with his limited English drew some surprised looks when he referred to O’Malley as his “godfather.” Phil Elderkin, The Christian Science Monitor, March 25, 1994  

Park recalls in his autobiography, “Even when I met someone like Peter O’Malley, who used to own the Dodgers, I asked about whatever I did not quite understand. Owner of the team is a very senior person. But even when he said something and I did not quite understand, I asked him to re-explain it to me. But he didn’t get frustrated or looked down upon me. The higher the person, the better the player and the better known the person, he re-explained slowly and kindly. Afterwards he confirmed whether I understood and assured me to ask more.” Chan Ho Park autobiography, 2014 

The evolving Park story in his first spring was followed intently by journalists from South Korea, as well as Korean-American publications. His every move was also regularly reported by the Dodger beat writers.

On February 19, 1994, Park first threw for the Dodgers at Dodgertown, Vero Beach, Florida and that was at the batting cages, as rain prevented him from pitching at Holman Stadium. In his first spring start on March 7, Park faced the New York Mets at Port St. Lucie and threw three scoreless innings, giving up one hit and, at one point, threw 13 consecutive strikes, as O’Malley watched in person.

Park’s success on the mound during the spring brought him closer to his dream of pitching in the majors for the Dodgers. He bowed in respect to the home plate umpire before he made his first pitch of the game. But, he also had a hesitation in his wind-up with a high leg kick that troubled some of the batters and they challenged the legality of his motion and whether it constituted a balk. The umpire supervisor for the National League Ed Vargo made a special trip to Dodgertown to watch Park pitch. Park worked with Dodger pitching coach Ron Perranoski and Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda, who also took Park under his wing, to smooth out the pause in his delivery, so there would be no controversy after having seven balks called on him in the spring. Park refined his fastball, curveball, slider and forkball. 

Lasorda frequently joined Park for tea after a long day at Dodgertown. Maryann Hudson, Los Angeles Times, March 8, 1994 A former pitcher, Lasorda was 100 percent committed to doing whatever it took to help Park to find success in the majors. Once in a while, Park who was listening to and learning English phrases and sentences on his audio cassette tapes surprised Lasorda with a question in English like, ‘How come you look so tired?’” Maryann Hudson, Los Angeles Times, February 23, 1994

He also learned English from speaking to his teammates. Players taught him to say, “Hey, dude!” which became one of his favorite phrases. Dodger catcher Mike Piazza said, “I don’t know how I’m going to talk with him, because I don’t speak Korean. But he knows some English and what is going on. Chan Ho is smart, and it will work out.” Maryann Hudson, Los Angeles Times, April 2, 1994 For his part, Park said, “The fact that I can’t understand what people are saying is the most difficult adjustment. But the other players are patient and understand. (On the mound) I understand when Mike Piazza talks to me. Baseball is a professional language and I don’t have difficulty there. Plus, Piazza goes out of his way for me.” Maryann Hudson, Los Angeles Times, April 13, 1994

In the Los Angeles Times, Maryann Hudson wrote, “Park Chan Ho of South Korea was formally initiated by his teammates while doing a television interview for (KTLA) Channel 5. (Pitcher) Kevin Gross greeted him with a whipped-cream pie in the face. Park said later that the prank made him feel accepted.” Maryann Hudson, Los Angeles Times, March 1, 1994

As spring was coming to a close, the Dodgers had to make an important decision as to Park’s status with the big league club. The question was would he make the team and pitch for the Dodgers to start the 1994 season, or would it be best to send him to the minor leagues for more work on his pitches and additional acclimation to the United States? 

O’Malley and Dodger Executive Vice President and General Manager Fred Claire wanted to provide Park every opportunity to make the club.

“He has helped make this the most exciting spring for me in many years,” said O’Malley. “He’s a very exciting young man. We obviously believe that he can play with us soon at the major league level. I hope he’s with the major league club on opening day. I enjoy watching him pitch.” Tim Kawakami, Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1994  

When it was announced that Park made the Dodgers after a fine spring (6 starts, 3-1 record, 6 earned runs in 25 innings with 20 strikeouts), he was elated and emotional, tears of joy welling up in his eyes when he learned the good news. “Something has been achieved that has never been done before,” Park said. “I believe this event is going to give pride and hope to youngsters.” Maryann Hudson, Los Angeles Times, April 2, 1994 The Korean American community was also thrilled.    

“He’s been the talk of the town since he came to L.A.,” said Harrison Kim, executive director of the Korean American Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles. Jake Doherty and Sean Waters, Los Angeles Times, April 3, 1994 Tom Byun, then managing editor of the Los Angeles edition of the Korea Times said, “From elementary school students to old people, there’s much interest in Chan Ho Park…I’ve had lots of calls. They want to know everything about him. When is the next time he will go to the mound? What kind of food does he (eat), Korean food or hamburgers? Does he have a girlfriend? For the first time ever, we sent a reporter to (Dodgertown) Vero Beach to cover spring training.” Ibid.   

O’Malley said, “I see (Park) making an impact not just in L.A, not just in America, but throughout the world. We’re on the threshold here of something very, very exciting.” Tim Kawakami, Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1994  

The first time Park appeared in a Dodger game was on April 8, 1994, which, though historic, was overshadowed by another event – a 6-0 no-hitter thrown against the Dodgers by Kent Mercker of the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. Park pitched two innings in relief, giving up two runs, striking out two and walking two before 36,546 fans. He made his next relief appearance against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 14 at Busch Stadium, going three innings and giving up three runs, striking out four and walking three. His ERA swelled to 11.25.

“The fact that I don’t know the hitters is difficult,” Park said after that game through his interpreter Don Yi. “But I’m learning the batters now and getting better because of it.” Maryann Hudson, Los Angeles Times, April 15, 1994 Just six days later, the Dodgers sent Park to the minor leagues and as Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda explained, “Some guys are sent down because they are not doing the job. This wasn’t the case with him (Park). We’re sending him down for his betterment…This guy has an outstanding arm and, believe me, he’s going to be an outstanding pitcher.” Steve Springer, Los Angeles Times, April 21, 1994     

“After I debuted in the Major leagues in 1994, I was sent down to the Dodgers AA team San Antonio Missions,” Park wrote in his 2014 autobiography, “There Is An End, There Is A Beginning” in Korean. “I heard that if I do well in a few games, I can go back to the Majors. I thought, oh really? Then I can go back pretty soon. But that was not so. I thought I was doing pretty well, but the coach (Burt Hooton) said so-so. Not good. About a month passed, and then it got difficult. I was lonely and frustrated. Even the food made it hard for me. 

“One day, after about a month, the game did not go well. I gave up eight runs in four innings, and I was switched out. I was so sad and so embarrassed. At the time I was always with my translator. I didn’t say a word to the translator and left the stadium. I started walking. I didn’t want to get in the car and go back to my apartment. Thinking back now, it was quite foolish. But at the time, I was not of a mindset to be thinking. I just wanted to be alone. From the stadium to the apartment, I had to go on the freeways. It took about 15 minutes by car, but it took about 3 hours by walking. I walked on the freeway.” Chan Ho Park autobiography, 2014

“As I walked I reflected on myself, and it became clear. I was not trying hard enough. Compared to how I trained in Korea, I was not doing anything here. After I debuted in the Majors, I was busy with this and that, but I was forgetting what I have to do, what I need to focus on and where I need to head. I was not focusing on myself. 

“Later, when people found out that I disappeared from the stadium, the organization panicked. Illegal immigrants or the homeless could pick a fight. There could be gun fights. Cars drive by at high speed. When I came home after three hours, my translator said it was crazy at the stadium and warned me to never do that again. 

“But I decided to run that route every day. So from now on, I am going to run from the apartment to the stadium. I remembered how I used to train so hard in Korea, and I wanted to do that again here. But in the morning when I got out of the apartment, thinking that I’ll run, I hesitated. Should I run? Should I walk? Should I skip today? Should I do it tomorrow? My mind went everywhere, but I held myself tight. Let’s do it. Let’s run.

“So I began running. At first it took me 1.5 hours, but after I got used to running, it took only 45 minutes. Running made me stronger physically, but more than that, I became stronger mentally. I did not start training after getting in the car and arriving at the stadium. I started training as soon as I stepped outside the apartment. After running to the stadium, I got tired. So I took a nap before starting the official training. Before the team training, I did individual weight training. Day after day, I could see myself getting stronger.

“These experiences helped me hold myself together. Difficulties mean that we crouch for a short moment in order to live the life well. I told myself that after I get through this, I will be changed and I will be stronger. I continued to play baseball with that mindset…People's expectations scared me. That is why, as I faced slumps, difficulties, and trials again, I began to focus on myself. It's not what people tell me, it’s listening to what I'm telling myself.” Ibid.

O’Malley traveled to San Antonio to watch Park pitch for the Missions on May 7, 1994 and provide him with encouragement and support. Clifford Broyles, Express-News, May 9, 1994 Following the game, Park presented O’Malley with a rose, explaining that it was “Parent’s Day” in Korea. Park said, “Mr. O’Malley has treated me like a son and I wanted to treat him with the respect of a father.” Ibid.

Park went 5-7 with a 3.55 ERA at San Antonio in 1994. He averaged 8.9 strikeouts per 9 innings. Baseball had a player’s strike in 1994, which cancelled the World Series and lingered into Spring Training in 1995. By that point, O’Malley had announced that another pitcher from Asia would be joining the Dodgers. That was Hideo Nomo, who had pitched professionally for Japan’s Kintetsu Buffaloes for five seasons and had 78 wins in Nippon Professional Baseball. Only one other Japan-born player had been in Major League Baseball and that was Masanori Murakami with the San Francisco Giants in 1964-1965. He was sent by the Nankai Hawks for development in the minor leagues, but ended up playing for the Giants. However, contractual obligations forced Murakami back to Japan’s professional league. Nomo wanted to stay in the United States and challenge the best hitters.

Park was excited and impressed, as he and his high school teammates followed Japan’s professional baseball league and knew Nomo was considered a great talent. Some of Park’s teammates even emulated Nomo’s famous corkscrew wind-up. Park and Nomo posed together for longtime Dodger photographer Jon SooHoo. The two pitchers, both widely recognized as baseball pioneers in America, inscribed the photo for O’Malley and it remains one of his prized possessions.  

While “Nomomania” took the baseball world by storm in 1995, Park was pitching for the Albuquerque Dukes in the Pacific Coast League, racking up a 6-7 record with a 4.91 ERA. Park led the minors’ highest level with a strikeout rate of 8.3 per 9 innings. Park did return briefly to the Dodgers for two games, including his first major league start on October 1, 1995 against the San Diego Padres at Jack Murphy Stadium. Park went three innings and gave up one run on a home run and struck out five, all consecutively. The Dodgers won the game, 4-1.

Park pitched for Hanyang in 1992 and 1993. O’Malley invited Hanyang University’s baseball team from Seoul to train at Dodgertown during 1996 Spring Training. “I know the young men will benefit by this international experience,” said O’Malley.

Park made the Dodgers to stay in 1996 and had a 5-5 record with a 3.64 ERA. His 119 strikeouts in 108 2/3 innings were an indication that his fastball and other pitches were effective against major league hitters. For the next five seasons, he would win in double digits each year, with a high of 18 wins in 2000. He and fellow pitcher Jeff Shaw were the only two Dodgers named to the All-Star Game in 2001. Of course, Park was the first Korea-born player to earn a spot on a major league All-Star team. Park surrendered one run to the American League in the third inning and took the 4-1 loss in Seattle.

“When I went to America, many people didn't know,” said Park. “No one would have thought it would be successful. There was no case. But the reason I took the challenge is because I didn't have a picture of what would happen if I succeeded. There was also no picture of what would happen if I failed. I have been a weird kid since I was a kid. There was an urge to keep experiencing something new. So, I climbed the wall, climbed the rooftop, went to the mountain at night, and went to the cemetery. Even when I entered the US, there was no such case, but I just wanted to go. My dreams were players like Seon Dong-ryul (i.e. Sun Dong-yol), Choi Dong-won, and Jang Jong-hoon, who were successful in Korean professional baseball. However, I didn't know what it would be like to see a new place called Major League, but I wanted to experience what it would be like.” Chan Ho Park autobiography, 2014

Park’s career took off with the Dodgers and he wound up pitching 17 seasons in Major League Baseball, opening the door to 25 additional players (as of the 2024 season) from South Korea in the majors. Park holds the record for most wins by any major league pitcher from Asia with 124. He pitched a total of nine seasons for the Dodgers, while also pitching for Texas, San Diego, the New York Mets, Philadelphia, New York Yankees and Pittsburgh. Park pitched in the postseason three times, including with the Phillies in the 2009 World Series. In his career, he struck out 1,715 batters in 1,993 innings pitched. 

Park became a national hero in his home country and one of its most popular and highly-respected celebrities. 

Although much has been written about two 1999 incidents in his career, nothing will take away from his fortitude and pride in becoming the first South Korean-born player to be in the U.S. major leagues. The first was more or less a freak on April 23 when Park surrendered a major league record two grand slams in the same inning by the same batter – St. Louis third baseman Fernando Tatis. It was an ugly inning for the Dodgers, one that saw 14 Cardinals’ batters come to home plate and Dodger Manager Davey Johnson ejected.

The second incident occurred in Anaheim on June 5 when Angels pitcher Tim Belcher applied a tag on Park after Park’s sacrifice bunt down the first base line. Park objected to Belcher’s tag, questioned him and the two got into a shouting match. In the heat of the moment, Park delivered a forearm to Belcher’s face, followed by a martial arts-style kick. Park was suspended for seven games and fined by National League President Leonard Coleman. Steve Springer, Los Angeles Times, June 6, 1999 For years, Park suspected that his nationality played a part in other player’s acceptance of him. Chan Ho Park autobiography, 2014 Steve Springer, Los Angeles Times, June 6, 1999 Park said when he received the suspension, “I apologize for the bad news to my teammates. Seven days will be really long for me. I apologize to Tim Belcher. Hopefully, he will not get any big hurt from it." Ibid.    

On November 29, 2005, Park and his bride Ri-hye held their marriage ceremony in Hawaii and O’Malley and his wife Annette were part of a small circle of family and friends invited to attend. O’Malley also joined the happy couple for a special reception in Seoul on December 11 that year.

In 2011, Park pitched in Nippon Professional Baseball for Orix and he completed his career in the Korea Baseball Organization with the Hanwha Eagles in 2012, before announcing his retirement.

In the fall of 2011, O’Malley and Park met in Tokyo to discuss an opportunity that O’Malley had been considering. After O’Malley sold the Dodgers to the Fox Group, Dodgertown, Vero Beach, Florida land and facilities had been sold by Fox to Indian River County in 2001. Fox, in turn, sold the Dodgers to Frank McCourt in 2004. After the Dodgers’ final Spring Training was held at Dodgertown in 2008, the facility had been shuttered for nine months until 2009 when Minor League Baseball worked out a lease with Indian River County to create Vero Beach Sports Village, a year-round, multi-sport training center. But, two years later, heavy financial losses meant that Minor League Baseball officials were close to pulling the plug on their operation. But, that is when O’Malley stepped up to save the former Dodgertown. In the meantime, meeting with Park, O’Malley asked him if he would be interested in becoming a founding partner, joining O’Malley and his sister Terry O’Malley Seidler in the venture. Park agreed. O’Malley had a similar meeting with Nomo in Tokyo.

Both Park and Nomo had an affinity for the property, as it is where both of their careers first started in the United States – Park in 1994 and Nomo in 1995. They both learned from instruction at Dodgertown and got to know their teammates and the Dodger family. So, they joined with O’Malley and Terry O’Malley Seidler at the beginning of 2012. O’Malley was responsible for the campus and he changed the name to “Historic Dodgertown, Vero Beach, Florida” in August, 2013. For years, the professional SK Wyverns of the KBO were regular visitors at Historic Dodgertown, training in preparation for their upcoming seasons. In 2018, SK won the Korean Series.         

Park wanted to show his support for countryman Hyun-Jin Ryu who was starting Game 3 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 14, 2013. Friends Park and O’Malley attended the game and sat together on the Club Level. Ryu pitched seven strong shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals and the Dodgers won, 3-0. 

On July 18, 2014, a special retirement ceremony honoring Park was held at the KBO All-Star Game at Champions Field, honoring his success in America. In November, 2014, Park served as an instructor for the 53rd Los Angeles Dodgers Adult Baseball Camp, which had been re-established by O’Malley, held at Historic Dodgertown.

On January 17, 2015, Park and Nomo were the first-ever recipients of the Pioneer Award from Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig at the 12th Annual Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation awards dinner at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles. Park was in attendance and delivered a heartfelt and powerful speech, recalling that first visit to Dodger Stadium as a teen-ager. 

“Watching the game at the top of the stadium, it was difficult to see who the players were,” Park said. “However, I remember the beautiful scenery of the stadium, fans and billboards. It was really great. I later found out that the tall pitcher was Orel Hershiser. After the game, I had to buy something at the club’s supply store and I had $200 in my hand to buy presents for my high school teammates. I had to buy small things like pencils, and at that moment a jacket caught my eye. I really wanted a jacket that shines blue. I bought a jacket after thinking, ‘Should I buy a pencil or a jacket?’ It fits so well! At the moment, I was worried because I couldn’t find a gift to buy my colleagues. After saying ‘I have to wear the jacket while returning it’, I bought pencils in Seoul and sent them down to my hometown. 

“In my hometown, I wore that jacket. People asked where this jacket came from, and each time they said I was from America. So I grew my dream. And a few years later, I was playing on the spot with the players I saw then (in 1991). When I first came to America, I knew only one agent. But now I know many people. My relationship with them is really meaningful and valuable to me. America is a place that gave me a chance. People gave me love and support. Pioneers are lonely and work hard. No one knows, but it’s special.    

“I want to thank everyone who was special and valuable to me. Peter O’Malley came to Korea in 1993 to see me. He was my best friend, advisor, advocate and teacher. Tommy Lasorda is my American father, and his wife, Jo is my American mother. My wife Bak Hy (Ri-Hye) cannot be left out. She is really special. She was with me when I had a tough time in Texas, and even when I had a major surgery after I got married. She is the person who saved my life.

“I cannot forget the love of Korean fans. They cheered me wherever I went…I would also like to thank the scouts here. Without the scouts, I couldn’t be here. I am working on giving opportunities to others who dream like me. It’s really amazing…in the future, I want to contribute to exchanges between Asian baseball and major leagues.” Etoland.co.kr, “Baseball pioneer award recipient – Chan ho Park”, January 24, 2015

Park started the Los Angeles-based charity Chan Ho Park Dream Foundation in 2009 as a way of assisting youth and furthering youth baseball development. Newsarticleinsiders.com/legendary-korean-pitcher-backs-start-ups He is a role model to thousands and gives back in many ways. Since 2017, Park has been an advisor to the San Diego Padres baseball operations department. 

On November 3, 2018, a Chan Ho Park museum opened in his hometown in Kongju City at the home his parents owned and where he grew up as a boy with all of those dreams. Hideo Nomo came from Japan to participate in the dedication ceremonies. The home was remodeled to accommodate the second floor, seven room museum. One of the rooms displays an exhibition on Dodger pioneers Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Fernando Valenzuela, Nomo and Park. 

The narrative of the exhibit states, “They rewrote the history of baseball with their best skills, and in that they brought harmony through baseball beyond racist limits, they are meaningful beyond the Dodgers as the pioneers of baseball.”

Park came full circle on March 20, 2024, when Major League Baseball asked him to throw the ceremonial first pitch between the first regular season game ever played in South Korea. Prior to the Dodgers and Padres game, fans cheered wildly as Park was once again on the mound as the Seoul Series at Gocheok Sky Dome commenced.