The year he turned 21, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a sophomore at Hanyang University, and on April 8 he debuted in the majors, pitching in relief against Atlanta. On April 6, 1996, he earned his first win against the Chicago Cubs. It was his first full season, split between starting and relieving.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 24, he settled in as a regular starter and went 14-8 with a 3.38 ERA. Ilgan Sports wrote that in 1997 he drew people across Korea to their TV sets.
In 1998 he won gold at the Bangkok Asian Games, earning a military exemption, and won 15 games in the majors. In 2000 he went 18-10, his most wins in a season. In 2001 he was an All-Star for the first time, and at the end of the year he signed with the Texas Rangers for five years and $65 million.
In 2005 he was traded to San Diego, and that November he married in Hawaii. In 2007 he moved to the New York Mets and spent a season in the minors. In 2008 he returned to the Dodgers after seven years and found a place in the bullpen.
In 2009 he reached the World Series with Philadelphia but lost to the New York Yankees. On Oct. 2, 2010, he reached 124 career wins, an Asian pitcher’s record, and at the end of the year he moved to Orix in Japan. In 2012 he pitched a season for his hometown team Hanwha and announced his retirement on Nov. 30.
In 2013 he received the Ilgu Grand Prize. In 2014 he held an official retirement ceremony at the All-Star Game in Gwangju. In 2016 he held a youth baseball camp.
In 2019 he became a special adviser to the San Diego Padres. In 2020 he appeared on KBS2’s Chukgu Yagu Malgu, his first regular variety role. In 2022 he said at the Korean Series that he had recommended Kim Ha-seong to the club.
In 2024 he threw the first pitch at the first major league regular-season opener played in Korea. In 2025 he lost his home in the Los Angeles wildfires, and at the end of the year he received a plaque of appreciation for sponsoring youth baseball. In 2026 he led the investment consortium Team61 into a stake in the Athletics and became the club’s senior adviser.
Chan Ho Park (born Jun 29, 1973) debuted on Apr 8, 1994, the year he turned 21, as the first Korean player in the major leagues, and became known in 1997, the year he turned 24, when he settled in as a full-time starter for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He reached 124 career wins, the most by an Asian pitcher, in 2010, the year he turned 37.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Held a signing ceremony at a hotel in Koreatown, Los Angeles. The signing bonus was $1.2 million, his uniform number was 61, and he was then a sophomore at Hanyang University.
Source 01 · Munhwa Ilbo (Korean) · Joining the Dodgers in January 1994 · opens in a new tabCame in to pitch the ninth inning of a home game and gave up two runs in one inning, becoming the first Korean player in the major leagues. He was the 17th player to go to the majors straight from amateur baseball, without playing in the minors.
Source 02 · Sports Hankook (Korean) · 20th anniversary of his first win · opens in a new tabSource 05 · MyDaily (Korean) · Chosen to throw the Seoul Series first pitch · opens in a new tabAt Wrigley Field, starter Ramón Martínez complained of a hamstring injury after the first inning. Park came in, held the Cubs scoreless for four innings and got the win. That year was his first full season, split between starting and relieving.
Source 02 · Sports Hankook (Korean) · 20th anniversary of his first win · opens in a new tabSettled in as a regular starter from 1997. He earned his first win of the season that day and his first major league complete-game win on Aug. 11. He finished the year 14-8 with a 3.38 ERA, and Ilgan Sports wrote that in 1997 he drew people across Korea to their TV sets.
In the first tournament open to professional players, the national team won gold with a perfect record, and Park received a military exemption through it. That year he won 15 games in the majors.
Source 04 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · 1998 Bangkok Dream Team · opens in a new tabSource 05 · MyDaily (Korean) · Chosen to throw the Seoul Series first pitch · opens in a new tab The cited articles give no tournament date, so only the year is given.Following 14 wins in 1997 and 15 in 1998, he recorded 13.
Source 05 · MyDaily (Korean) · Chosen to throw the Seoul Series first pitch · opens in a new tabWent 18-10 with a 3.27 ERA. OSEN reported it as the most wins in a season by a Korean.
Source 27 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · Park Chan-ho’s salary and investments · opens in a new tabSource 06 · OSEN (Korean) · Seoul Series first pitch announced · opens in a new tabSource 05 · MyDaily (Korean) · Chosen to throw the Seoul Series first pitch · opens in a new tabWas chosen for the major league All-Star Game for the first time. He added 15 wins, extending his run to five straight seasons of 10 or more wins since 1997.
Source 06 · OSEN (Korean) · Seoul Series first pitch announced · opens in a new tabSource 05 · MyDaily (Korean) · Chosen to throw the Seoul Series first pitch · opens in a new tabBecame a free agent and moved to Texas. His agent was Scott Boras.
Source 07 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Death of former Rangers owner Tom Hicks · opens in a new tab Outlets give the contract date as Dec. 21, 22 and 23, so only the month is given.Traded from Texas, he pitched for San Diego for a year and a half, through 2006.
Source 06 · OSEN (Korean) · Seoul Series first pitch announced · opens in a new tabHeld the ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii, officiated by Ronald Moon, Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court. On Dec. 11 he held a reception in Seoul that also marked his 100th major league win.
Source 08 · Hankyoreh (Korean) · Park Chan-ho’s wedding · opens in a new tab The date is Korea time.Pitched in the postseason for the first time, with San Diego.
Source 06 · OSEN (Korean) · Seoul Series first pitch announced · opens in a new tabMoved to the New York Mets and spent that year in the minor leagues.
Source 09 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Move to Philadelphia · opens in a new tabSource 11 · Kookmin Ilbo (Korean) · Most wins by an Asian pitcher · opens in a new tabReturned to the Dodgers after seven years on a minor league contract and moved between starting and relieving. He went 4-4 with 2 saves and a 3.40 ERA.
Source 09 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Move to Philadelphia · opens in a new tabSource 10 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 2009 World Series · opens in a new tabAt a press conference in Seoul he said he had signed on terms of a $2.5 million base and up to $5 million.
Source 09 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Move to Philadelphia · opens in a new tabThe season ended when Philadelphia lost Game 6 to the New York Yankees 7–3. It was his first World Series in 15 years since reaching the majors.
Source 10 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 2009 World Series · opens in a new tabWith Pittsburgh, he came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth in a road game against the Florida Marlins, threw three scoreless innings and got the win. It passed Hideo Nomo’s 123.
Source 11 · Kookmin Ilbo (Korean) · Most wins by an Asian pitcher · opens in a new tabMoved to Japan after 17 years in the majors. His agency, Team61, announced the agreement.
Source 12 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Joining Orix · opens in a new tabThe Korea Baseball Organization’s board approved Hanwha’s pick, so he was to play in Korea from the next year. Hanwha is the hometown team of Park, who is from Gongju, South Chungcheong Province.
Source 13 · Ilgan Sports (Korean) · KBO board approves Hanwha’s pick · opens in a new tabPitched for the last time that season in a game against KIA at Daejeon Stadium. He won five games in Korea that year.
Source 14 · Weekly Donga (Korean) · Why Park Chan-ho is visiting O’Malley · opens in a new tabEnded his playing career. Adding one win in Japan in 2011 and five in Korea in 2012 to 124 wins in 17 major league years, he finished with 130 wins across the U.S., Japan and Korea over 19 years.
Source 14 · Weekly Donga (Korean) · Why Park Chan-ho is visiting O’Malley · opens in a new tabReceived the Ilgu Grand Prize at a ceremony at the Libera Hotel in Seoul. He could not attend, so his father accepted it for him.
Source 15 · Star News (Korean) · 2013 Ilgu Awards · opens in a new tabAt the All-Star Game at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field he threw the first pitch in a Hanwha No. 61 jersey. Younger players had suggested the event, and the Korea Baseball Organization arranged it.
Source 16 · Korea.kr Policy Briefing (Korean) · Park Chan-ho’s belated retirement ceremony · opens in a new tabHeld over two days in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, with 120 young players taking part.
Source 17 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Youth baseball camp · opens in a new tabAt the pre-event of the Huons Celebrity Pro-Am at Solago Country Club in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, he carried the ball 331 yards, beating the professional golfers.
Source 18 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Top of the long-drive contest · opens in a new tabBecame an adviser to San Diego in the major leagues. OSEN wrote that he also played a direct or indirect role in Kim Ha-seong’s signing in 2021.
Source 06 · OSEN (Korean) · Seoul Series first pitch announced · opens in a new tabSource 19 · JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · Turning venture investor · opens in a new tabTook on his first regular variety role, on a show with Lee Young-pyo.
Source 20 · Newsen (Korean) · KBS2 Chukgu Yagu Malgu · opens in a new tab The date is when the article ran; the first broadcast date was not confirmed.Played as a competitor in the Gunsan CC Open at Gunsan Country Club in North Jeolla Province. That March he had failed to get through qualifying for the second-tier tour.
Source 21 · SBS (Korean) · Entering the KPGA Gunsan CC Open · opens in a new tabAt Game 4 of the Korean Series at Gocheok Sky Dome, he said he had predicted Kim Ha-seong would succeed and strongly recommended him to the club.
Source 22 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Recommending Kim Ha-seong · opens in a new tabThrew the first pitch at the opener between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego at Gocheok Sky Dome. He brought the glove he used at his 1994 debut.
Source 23 · SPOTV News (Korean) · Seoul Series first pitch · opens in a new tabSource 06 · OSEN (Korean) · Seoul Series first pitch announced · opens in a new tabLost his house in the fires. In a year-end social media post he wrote that it was a major hardship but that he was thankful his whole family was safe and healthy.
Source 24 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · 2025 Christmas greeting · opens in a new tab The article gives the month only.Received it as head of Team61 for 23 years of sponsoring the Park Chan-ho Cup national elementary school baseball tournament.
Source 25 · Star News (Korean) · Baseball-softball night · opens in a new tabTeam61, the investment consortium he leads, announced a partnership as it bought a stake in the Athletics, and he is to serve as the club’s senior adviser. The Gate described him as the first Korean to invest in a major league club.
Source 26 · The Gate (Korean) · Athletics partnership · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1994–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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Sports · South Korea
Jun 29, 1973 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1973: the year of the event minus 1973, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.22 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.