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.
SEOUL, South Korea – U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Philip Goldberg, expressed his enthusiasm for the introduction of Major League Baseball (MLB) games to Seoul, marking a significant moment in cultural exchange between the United States and South Korea. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres inaugurated the 2024 regular season with the Seoul Series at Gocheok Sky Dome this Wednesday.According to Yonhap News Agency, Ambassador Goldberg, a lifelong baseball enthusiast, praised the decision to host MLB games in Seoul, particularly noting the inclusion of players from the Pacific Rim, such as the Padres' South Korean player Kim Ha-seong and Japanese stars, including the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani. Goldberg highlighted that the event underscores the shared love of baseball between the United States and South Korea, thereby reinforcing the strong bilateral relationship across various domains.
Goldberg emphasized the unifying aspect of sports, particularly baseball, in bolstering the South Korea-U.S. alliance, viewing it as a "people-to-people kind of alliance." He expressed hope that the event would allow American fans to experience the unique cheering culture of Korean baseball, thus enhancing mutual understanding and appreciation.
While Goldberg refrains from favoring any Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) teams due to diplomatic neutrality, he remains a devoted fan of his hometown team, the Boston Red Sox. He recounted significant moments in the team’s history, including Dave Roberts' pivotal role in the 2004 World Series victory. Roberts, now the manager of the Dodgers, is celebrated in Boston for his crucial part in ending the team's 86-year championship drought.
Goldberg's presence at the MLB games in Seoul and his passion for the sport exemplify the deep cultural connections and shared interests underpinning the relationship between the United States and South Korea.