Chan Ho Park
The legendary Korean-born former Major League pitcher Chan Ho Park's official retirement ceremony is scheduled to be held on the 18th of July in Gwangju, Korea, at the KIA Champions Field, the home stadium for the KIA Tigers. Although Park is an iconic baseball star for Korean baseball fans, he never had an official retirement since he stepped down from the mound after the 2012 season.
The Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) decided to host the event during the Korean baseball All-Star Break. KBO insiders expressed that because of Park's accomplishments in the Major League, NPB (Nippon Pro Baseball) and KBO, it would be fitting to have him officially end his baseball career with all the current star players and baseball fans.
The All-Star event will start with various activities including a homerun race for batters, a bunting tournament, and a pitching competition. The main event will be the All-Star game between the Eastern League and the Western League, where fans will witness the stars from their favorite clubs split into two teams and play. Park's retirement ceremony will take place right after the game and the announcing of 2014's All-Star MVP.
Many sports reporters state that the history of Korean baseball began with Chan Ho Park joining the Major Leagues. Park was born in 1973 in a small provincial town called Gongju, and shared he joined a baseball club in his elementary school so he could get free food like the other players. One time he got an opportunity to visit the Dodgers Stadium to watch the L.A. Dodgers play, and since then dreamed of playing in the States.
During his third year of college, Park was scouted into the Dodgers and became the first Korea-born Major League pitcher. Since then he played for various teams including the Texas Rangers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies. In 2011, he moved to play for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan but decided to end his career in his home country, and home team, the Hanhwa Eagles, who represented the province he grew up in.
Sports experts in Korea have all expressed that this year's All-Star break will be a very special event not only for fans but also current Korean baseball stars including Shin-soo Choo (Texas Rangers) and other KBO stars who all grew up watching Park pitch in America on television.
