Former MLB pitcher Chan Ho Park threw the ceremonial first pitch at the season opening game in South Korea, using the glove from his first major league appearance. Park, the first South Korean-born player in the MLB, began his career in 1994 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He wore a San Diego Padres jersey, where he currently serves as an adviser, and threw the ball to Padres' South Korean shortstop Ha-Seong Kim.
Park expressed pride in inspiring younger Asian players, along with his former teammate Hideo Nomo, who joined the Dodgers in 1995. Park holds the MLB record for most wins by an east Asian pitcher, with a 124-98 record and a 4.36 ERA. He was an All-Star in 2001 and played for various teams during his 17-year career.
Retired since 2012, Park remains a popular figure in South Korea, known for uplifting the nation during a financial crisis in the late-1990s. A total of 25 South Koreans have played in the MLB since Park's debut, including Kim, who won a Gold Glove as a utility player last year.
The Los Angeles Dodgers boast Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, while the San Diego Padres' Yu Darvish is a contender to break Park's Asian win record. Darvish, with 103 career wins, aims to surpass Park's 124-win milestone.
Park expressed his hope for Darvish to break his record, stating, 'My record of 124 wins needs to get broken some time. And I really hope Darvish is the one who does it.'
Source: AP MLB
