Park Rewarded for Progress

Continuing to secure their emerging players with multiyear deals, the Dodgers on Tuesday agreed to terms with right-hander Chan Ho Park--elevating him among the highest-paid pitchers in team history with two years of service time or less.

Terms of the deal weren’t announced, but a source said Park, the first native Korean to pitch in the major leagues, received a two-year, $3-million contract. Park made $270,000 last season and wouldn’t have been eligible for salary arbitration until after this season, but rewarding the fast-rising pitcher was important to the Dodgers.

“This makes sense for the Dodgers and it makes sense for Chan Ho,” Executive Vice President Fred Claire said. “We feel very strongly that Chan Ho will continue to pitch well for many years to come.

“He’s a great competitor and a great human being. Quite frankly, Chan Ho is the type of player you like to reward.”

Park, who had a breakthrough season in 1997, joined fellow starting pitcher Ismael Valdes in receiving a lucrative contract after two seasons. Valdes received a two-year, $3.7-million deal after his second season. Hideo Nomo received a three-year, $4.3-million contract after his rookie season.

“I’ve come a long way since signing with the team in ‘94,” Park said. “There was a lot of pressure on me before, and I had a hard time, but everything is much better now. I’m ready to continue to pitch well and help the Dodgers win.”

In his second full season, Park went 14-8 with a 3.38 earned-run average, tying Nomo for the team lead in victories. And Park became the Dodgers’ most reliable starter in the second half of the season as the rotation was beset by injuries and ineffectiveness.

He won nine of his last 12 decisions in 15 starts, going 8-1 in July and August. Not bad for a guy who began the season as the fifth starter, having to battle Tom Candiotti, now with the Oakland Athletics, for the job.

In the process, Park, 24, became an international star, joining Nomo as the most popular Dodgers in Asia. Park is the most recognizable person in Korea, according to a recent poll in that country. He and Nomo have helped make Dodger apparel among the hottest items throughout Asia.

And Park’s popularity has had an immediate financial impact for the Dodgers at home too. The average attendance at Dodger Stadium increases by 5,000 when Park starts, according to team research.

“And we never really talked about that,” said Steve Kim, Park’s agent. “We only talked about what Chan Ho had accomplished on the field. That was more than enough.”

The defining moment of Park’s young career came Sept. 17 in San Francisco. Pitching the opening game of a two-game showdown between the National League West leaders at 3Com Park, Park gave up a two-run, first-inning homer to Barry Bonds, giving the Giants a 2-0 lead.

But he retired 20 of the next 23 batters. Park left the game with his team trailing, 2-0, and the Dodgers lost, 2-1. But Park’s performance was considered one of the best of the season.

Park, among the hardest throwers in the game, was a middle reliever and occasional starter in 1996. He went 5-5 with a 3.64 ERA, appearing in 48 games and starting 10.

“It was just a matter of time,” Manager Bill Russell said of Park. “But we’re seeing it happen probably a litter faster than we thought we would.”