by REERA YOO | @reeraboo
editor@charactermedia.com
Chan Ho Park received a Pioneers of Baseball Award on Saturday, in honor of his accomplishments as the first Korean to play in Major League Baseball.
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig presented the award to both Park and Hideo Nomo, the first Japanese-born player to sign with the MLB, at the annual Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation dinner held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel.
According to Arirang, Park delivered a powerful speech as he recalled the hardships he faced as a pioneering Korean player and thanked the scouts for giving him a chance to play in the Majors.
Park signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994 and went on to play for the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates until 2010. Park is the all-time winningest Asian pitcher in the history of the MLB with 124 wins, besting Nomo’s record by one victory.
Park and Nomo were teammates when they played for the Dodgers from 1995 to 1998.
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