Chan Ho Park
The trailblazing South Korean pitcher who smashed the MLB color barrier for his nation, amassing a record 124 wins and inspiring a baseball revolution back home.
Born 1973 (age 53)·South Korean baseball player·Birthday: June 30·Generation X
Biography
When Chan Ho Park signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994, he wasn't just joining a team; he was carrying the hopes of a nation. His 1996 debut made him the first South Korean-born player in Major League Baseball history, a pressure he transformed into power with a blistering fastball and a distinctive leg kick. Park became an All-Star, a 18-game winner, and a cultural icon, his starts broadcast live in the middle of the night in Korea. His career was a marathon, spanning nine MLB teams and stints in Japan and Korea, defined by resilience as much as talent. By the time he retired, his 124 wins stood as the most by any Asia-born pitcher, a testament to his durability and pioneering spirit that opened the door for countless Korean players to follow.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Chan was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Chan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first South Korean-born player to appear in a Major League Baseball game in 1996.
- Earned 124 career MLB wins, the most by any pitcher born in Asia.
- Was selected as an MLB All-Star in 2001 while with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- Pitched a combined no-hitter for the Texas Rangers in 2006, contributing three hitless innings.
Did You Know?
He once gave up two grand slams in the same inning to the same batter, Fernando Tatís Sr., in 1999.
He hit a grand slam as a batter in 1999, one of only a handful of pitchers to do so.
He won a gold medal with South Korea at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
His high leg kick during his pitching delivery became his signature mechanic.
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