News Is Big for Dreifort and Park : Baseball: Both Dodger pitchers are told they will start out in the major leagues. The Angels then score a 2-0 victory.

It was a historic moment for South Korea as well as the Dodgers, and this time Chan Ho Park needed no interpreter. In a room off a tunnel at Dodger Stadium, Park and Darren Dreifort looked out to a crush of reporters while the news was announced that both have made the team.

For the Dodgers, Dreifort became the first drafted player since Sandy Koufax to skip the minors since the amateur draft began in 1965. Dreifort and Park became the 17th and 18th players in baseball to skip the minors since ’65.

It marks the first time a Korean has made it to the major leagues, and the usually animated Park was deeply humbled. When he and Dreifort were told the news before Friday night’s 2-0 exhibition loss to the Angels, Park said he cried.

“Something has been achieved that has never been done before,” Park said, speaking through his interpreter, Don Yi. “I believe that this event is going to give pride and hope to youngsters.”

Dodger President Peter O’Malley remained in Vero Beach, Fla., after the team broke camp, but he couldn’t have been more excited about Park. It was O’Malley who spearheaded signing Park in January, and the attention that Park brought to Dodgertown reminded O’Malley of the days of Fernando Valenzuela. Park was besieged during the spring by reporters, both American and Korean, a situation that probably will continue.

“(The spring) was a little difficult for me, but knowing that the people expect me and want me to achieve this, and the support they have given me has helped me,” Park said. “And continuously I believe that all the encouragement and faith that the Korean people have toward me will guide me and lead me.”

Both Park, 20, and Dreifort, 21, will start the season in the bullpen, primarily in long relief, but Park is expected to eventually become a starter. Dreifort is targeted as a closer. The two right-handers have vastly different personalities, with Dreifort very low-key and Park outgoing.

“I think we catch an equal amount of flack from people for being rookies, but I think that helps us out because we are in the same situation,” Dreifort said. “We have become pretty good friends over the last six weeks--the language barrier is a little bit of a problem, but Don Yi does a good job.”

The cultural differences in baseball will be an obstacle for Park, who has already seen the rule that various hesitations he employed in his delivery were illegal. There is also a difference between rules here and in South Korea on what constitutes a balk, and Park was called for six during the spring. The rest of the Dodger staff had none.

The language barrier is further complicated because Park’s interpreter will not be allowed to sit on the bench during the game or visit the mound. “I don’t know how I’m going to talk with him, because I don’t speak Korean,” Mike Piazza said. “But he knows some English and what is going on. Chan Ho is smart, and it will work out.”

The news was well received in the clubhouse, where many of the players had already predicted that Dreifort would become the new Pedro Martinez, who was traded to the Montreal Expos for Delino DeShields.

“I’m not big on the age thing, saying that a player needs to start at a lower level because he needs this or he needs that,” said DeShields, who was 21 when he broke in with the Expos. “I went out and never looked back. Dreifort has already pitched before thousands (for Wichita State) in the College World Series. And with the way Chan Ho has been throwing, what more do you have to see?”

Park is known for his fastball--clocked at 95 m.p.h.--although he didn’t throw it as much during the spring, instead relying more on his slider, curveball and forkball. The Dodgers have talked with him about using his fastball more. Dreifort throws a slider, curveball and sinker. But it was more than their pitches that convinced pitching coach Ron Perranoski they were ready for the majors.

“Both of them stand on the mound with no fear,” Perranoski said. “Both of them got into jams out there during the spring, and they weren’t fazed by it. They were able to not only make the pitches to get out of it, but they both made some great pitches to do it. They not only can pitch out, but they do it at another level.”

The Dodgers invested $2.5 million in them, signing Dreifort, their No. 1 draft pick last June, to a bonus of $1.3 million, and Park for $1.2 million. In addition, both will be paid $109,000 this season under a minimum major league contract.

“This is not something that we have given to these two players, this is something they have earned with their ability, with their presence and everything they have done in spring training,” said Fred Claire, executive vice president.

” . . . Can you predict that they will handle themselves in every way throughout the spring to win the job? History said that’s a longshot. But these aren’t the ordinary pitchers, these are the extraordinary pitchers.”