For the primary video games of Main League Baseball's common season in South Korea, it's solely becoming that the primary Korean participant in MLB historical past might be there to kick off the festivities. Chan Ho Park will throw out the ceremonial first pitch earlier than the Dodgers vs. Padres on Opening Day on Wednesday, March 20, the league introduced Thursday.
That Park additionally pitched within the majors for the Dodgers and the Padres makes this an ideal match as potential for the pregame ceremony.
Park signed with the Dodgers in January 1994, and when he made his debut with Los Angeles that April was the primary Korean participant within the historical past of the main league. He pitched his first eight main league seasons for the Dodgers, and made an All-Star staff in 2001, then returned as a aid pitcher in 2008.
With the Padres, Park pitched in 2005-06 and is at the moment an advisor to the staff within the baseball operations division.
In 17 seasons with seven totally different groups, Park gained 124 video games within the majors, essentially the most of any Korean participant. Park additionally has essentially the most innings (1,993) and strikeouts (1,715) of any Korean participant within the majors.
Opening Day in South Korea might be 19 days shy of the thirtieth anniversary of Park's main league debut with the Dodgers. It was a really memorable recreation.
Wednesday's season opener is taken into account a Padres house recreation (the Dodgers are the house staff on Thursday), and Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul is about three hours north of the place Park performed his baseball of highschool. Opening Day might be televised regionally by SportsNet LA, and for folks exterior the market it will likely be accessible on ESPN.
