Former Los Angeles Dodger and longtime MLB pitcher Chan Ho Park invested $70 million in the Athletics ahead of their Las Vegas move.
Park, the first South Korean-born player to play in MLB, will serve as a senior adviser to A’s owner John Fisher. The investment totals $70 million, with $55 million of the total being committed while the remaining $15 million waits until MLB approves the deal.
Park and Team61, the investment group, became the second major addition to the A’s’ ownership structure in the past week with their addition, as former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban also bought a minority stake in the team Thursday.
“During my playing career, I introduced Korea to Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball to Korean fans, and I saw firsthand how even a small point of connection can create meaningful change,” Park said in a statement. “Korea is now a baseball powerhouse with outstanding fans and a strong player-development system.
“Through exchanges with Las Vegas, which is opening a new era in Major League Baseball, I hope more opportunities will be created for the next generation of players. We are grateful for this opportunity to collaborate with the Athletics to lift up Korean baseball to the next level.”
With his investment, Park also became the first Korean to purchase a stake in an MLB team. His assistance is sure to bring international attention to the A’s—an area in which they are severely lacking.
“South Korea is an exciting country for baseball, and we are thrilled to partner with Chan Ho Park and Team61 to support their continued future success,” Fisher said. “Just as he pioneered and broke ground for Korean and Asian baseball players in America, we believe that this partnership with Chan Ho to pioneer Korean ownership in baseball will have long and lasting positive impacts.”
Who is Chan Ho Park?
Park pitched in parts of 17 MLB seasons from 1994-2010, with nine of those seasons coming with the Dodgers. He signed with the team in 1994, and made his debut later that year—though he had extremely limited time in the majors during 1994 and 1995.
His first stint with the Dodgers lasted through 2001, when he made the only All-Star Game of his career. Through his first eight years with the team, he appeared in 221 games, posting a 3.80 ERA while striking out 1,098 batters in 1,183.2 innings pitched.
Park returned to the Dodgers in the 2008 season as a relievers, and played a strong 54 games with the Dodgers. He posted a 3.40 ERA, pitching 95.1 innings and striking out 79 batters.
