Chan Ho Park (
1973- ) became the first
Korean player to play in the
Major Leagues when he first pitched for the
Los Angeles Dodgers on
April 8, 1994. Park went on to become one of the better
pitchers in the
National League, compiling an 80-54 record and a 3.80
ERA in eight seasons with Dodgers. In December
2002, Park capitalized on his success by signing a lucrative five-year deal with the
Texas Rangers at $13.5 million per season, but his career went into decline virtually as soon as he set foot in
Texas, and he never approached his former dominance.
Park was born in rural Kongju, South Korea. A high school slugger and pitching phenom, he jumped straight to the major leagues. Other Korean stars such as Byung-Hyun Kim and Jin Ho Cho followed him to the US, but recent changes in Korean baseball rules have made it nearly impossible for any new Korean talent to leave the country.