Park Puts It In Gear

These are dizzying days for Chan Ho Park, because things weren’t supposed to move so fast.

But the pace suits him.

The young Dodger right-hander is making his mark in major league baseball and beyond. That his ascent has taken only two seasons is the scary part.

He has made a splash across the Southland and in Asia, charming everyone with his wide-eyed exuberance, a disarming smile and with his determination.

And with his fastball.

Park gave a warning last season, stirring excitement ahead of schedule. Now, he’s ready to back it up.

Bolstered by the adoration of people in his homeland and the confidence of the Dodger organization--and pleased with his new contract--Park is prepared for the future. The only question seems to be, where’s the ceiling?

“I did more than I was expected to do and it happened very quickly,” said Park, the first Korean to pitch in the major leagues. “It was unexpected that I would get here this fast, that I was ready to do this. But I got the chance and it was great for me. It’s been a fun trip.”

World tours should be as thrilling.

With only one full season of major league experience, Park, 24, emerged as the Dodgers’ top starter. He tied Hideo Nomo for the team lead in victories, going 14-8 with a 3.38 earned-run average.

He won nine of his last 12 decisions in 15 starts and was 8-1 in July and August. His timing was impeccable, because the Dodger rotation needed help because of injuries and ineffectiveness.

Along the way, Park made believers of the masses. The average attendance at Dodger Stadium increased by 5,000 when he started, according to team research. It’s not quite Fernandomania or Nomomania, but it’s impressive.

He also joined Nomo among the most recognizable athletes in Asia. Not an organization to miss many signals, the Dodgers rewarded Park last week with a two-year, $3-million contract, although he wasn’t eligible for salary arbitration for another season.

Park, who earned $270,000 last season, will receive $700,000 in 1998 and $2.3 million in ’99. As deals go, it could be a steal.

“This was something we felt very strongly about because of how we view Chan Ho’s future with the Dodgers,” Executive Vice President Fred Claire said. “From what we’ve seen, we’re very confident this is a good deal.”

So the stage is set, but how high can Park fly?

“There’s no telling,” said former Dodger pitching coach Dave Wallace, now a special assistant to the general manager of the New York Mets. “There was never a question about his physical ability. It was always there, but his aptitude is what really impressed us last season.

“The types of questions he would ask when he wasn’t pitching, the observations he made, you could almost see things taking shape in his mind. He immediately picked up everything you tried to teach him, and he was able to make adjustments in his delivery easily. That and the physical part . . . it really sped up his progression.”

The physical part would be Park’s right arm. He is among the hardest throwers in the National League, with a 97-mph fastball.

But what makes Park so effective is his ability to throw curveballs or change-ups for strikes, setting up his fastball. Opponents batted .213 against him, second lowest in the National League.

“Before last year, you didn’t know about Chan Ho,” Dodger second baseman Eric Young said. “You didn’t see it in his eyes, like he knew he belonged.

“But then, during the stretch run last year, he was one of the hottest guys around. It was like all of a sudden, he knew. That’s the type of guy you want to play behind out there, because you know he’s going to bring it.”

Experience toughened Park. He had struggled in the minor leagues, longing for his family and friends in South Korea. He often sat crying in front of his apartment door because he hated being alone.

And then there was the incident during 1996 when his teammates, in a longtime rookie-hazing ritual, destroyed a new suit Park’s mother helped him buy. His anger didn’t sit well with some veterans, but he is now among the most popular and respected members of the team.

“Chan Ho has worked his butt off, so he deserves everything he’s gotten,” pitcher Darren Dreifort said. “Everyone respects what he’s done.”

Park’s arrival was certified on Sept. 17 in San Francisco.

Pitching the opening game of a two-game showdown between the NL West leaders at 3Com Park, Park gave up a two-run, first-inning homer to Barry Bonds, staking the Giants to a 2-0 lead and sending a charge through a crowd of 50,921, the largest in three seasons at the stadium. As if that wasn’t enough to rattle a sophomore starter, Bonds did a pirouette at home plate, raising the decibel level in an already hostile setting.

But Park retired 20 of the next 23 batters. He left after seven innings and the Dodgers lost, 2-1, but he made a statement.

“He was in a bad spot, but he stood in there,” Manager Bill Russell said. “You could see it building, so it wasn’t shocking, but it was still impressive to watch.”

Facing a different challenge, Park had showed his mettle earlier in the season. He stood firm after hitting Tony Phillips, the Angels’ volatile former leadoff batter, with a high fastball during a July 2 interleague game at Anaheim Stadium.

The incident precipitated a bench-clearing shoving match, and Park earned big points with his coaches and teammates for holding his ground.

“Something happened in that game and we all knew it,” Wallace said. “Chan Ho turned a corner and you could see it unfolding right there. What came through is that this young guy wasn’t backing down to anyone. He realized he didn’t have to.”

He exceeded expectations.

Park had been a middle reliever and occasional starter in 1996, going 5-5 with a 3.64 ERA. In spring training last season, he competed with Tom Candiotti, now with the Oakland Athletics, for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Considering he had been in United States only since 1994, Park’s progress surprised even him.

“I didn’t worry about anything other than staying healthy and doing my job,” said Park, who had received a $1.2-million signing bonus. “I didn’t have any goals other than that.”

Well, that’s not entirely true. Park aspired to become more familiar with English and pop culture in general. He speaks English well and is as comfortable in discussions about MTV and ESPN as the next Generation Xer.

“Again, that’s where you see his competitiveness,” Russell said. “It was a challenge for him to learn English, but he wanted to do it, so he took classes and he worked hard at it. He doesn’t need an interpreter anymore, and that shows you a lot.”

More than 30 companies have tried to hire Park as their pitchman, but he’s limited his endorsements--for now--to concentrate on baseball. He is still becoming accustomed to his growing fame.

His reception in when he arrived in South Korea for an off-season vacation awed him.

“There were thousands of people at the airport waiting for me,” an incredulous Park said. “There was almost no one there when I went home last year. It was like, ‘This is for me?’ I didn’t know people liked me so much.”

If Park’s uncle has his way, the crowds will grow. Steve Kim, who also represents Park, has a plan for his nephew’s continued development in sports marketing, concentrating as much on his gregarious nature and how he’s embraced the United States as his talent and potential.

“Chan Ho is having so much fun here, and he’s worked hard to get adjusted,” Kim said. “He’s very proud of his heritage, and he always will be, but we don’t want people to see Chan Ho as a Korean baseball player.

“We want them to see him as what he is: just one of the guys. What could be better proof of that than seeing his face on a cereal box someday?”

As a South Korean citizen, Park, who is in the United States on a student visa, is required to serve 30 months in the military by age 27. There aren’t any guarantees that South Korean officials will make an exception, though an arrangement seems probable because of the benefit Park’s presence here has for his country.

His impact has already created opportunities in the major leagues for other South Koreans, including Dodger right-hander Sug Chung. Of all his accomplishments, Park is most proud of that.

“People say I’ve opened doors and that makes me feel good,” Park said. “I am having so much fun here, I wish everyone could have as much fun as I am having right now.”

And the ride is only beginning.