SEOUL — In a momentous event for Major League Baseball (MLB) and South Korean sports, former MLB pitcher Park Chan-ho threw the ceremonial first pitch to Gold Glove-winning shortstop Kim Ha-seong, inaugurating the first MLB regular season game ever held in South Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the historic game, which featured the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, was held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Wednesday. Park Chan-ho, celebrated as the first South Korean to compete in MLB, was a fitting choice to commence the game, especially as it involved his former teams, the Dodgers and the Padres.
Park, who started his MLB career with the Dodgers in 1994, enjoyed a successful eight-season stint with the team before playing for several others, including the Padres. He holds the record for the most wins (124) by an Asian-born pitcher in MLB history.
The event was marked by significant fanfare, with Park receiving a standing ovation as he approached the mound. Demonstrating his connection to both competing teams, he donned a unique "PADgers" jersey, symbolizing the merger of the two team names, and wore his notable number 61.
Kim Ha-seong, the Padres' shortstop who received the National League Gold Glove last year, caught the first pitch, marking another significant moment as the first Asian-born infielder to win a Gold Glove. The ceremony saw a heartfelt moment as Park and Kim embraced before Park jogged towards the Dodgers' dugout to greet manager Dave Roberts, a former teammate from his time with the Padres.