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In 1994, the Dodgers grew to become South Korea’s unofficial Main League Baseball workforce when pitcher Chan Ho Park debuted because the league’s first participant of Korean descent.
Park’s gradual rise to stardom — he would go 80-54 for the Dodgers from 1996-2001, with a 3.77 ERA — nonetheless reverberates to at the present time. Wednesday and Thursday, the Dodgers and San Diego Padres will kick off MLB’s common season in Seoul.
Korean journalist Daniel Kim told Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain that the Seoul Sequence tickets are essentially the most sold-out occasions since “possibly a BTS live performance.” Given the Dodgers’ reputation in Korea, MLB could be silly to waste the advertising alternative — if the Dodgers and one different workforce had been prepared to go.
“Dodger group and Korean baseball followers, we go method again to the ’90s. Precisely 30 years in the past, when Chan Ho Park grew to become the primary ever Korean participant to play within the majors.”
— Korean journalist Daniel Kim, by way of Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain.
But the historic debut of 1 participant solely partially explains why the Dodgers are kicking off a brand new season midway all over the world, with the primary MLB video games on Korean soil (or Astroturf).
The Dodgers stormed via the offseason by pillaging the most effective expertise on the free agent market. The 2 highest-paid free brokers, two-way star Shohei Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, are of Japanese descent. Ohtani already has loads of followers in Korea, including the CEO of the country’s number-2 financial firm. The Japanese media consideration has naturally adopted the 2 gamers to Seoul.
Earlier this 12 months, NPB Commissioner Sadayuki Sakakibara reportedly confirmed that the league is “already in discussions with MLB about bringing a sequence to Tokyo in 2025.” However the arrival of the 2 Japanese stars may need come too late to plan a recreation in Japan for subsequent 12 months.
Another excuse why Korea is the primary cease on the Dodgers’ anticipated Asian tour: San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, who final 12 months grew to become the primary participant of Korean descent to win a Gold Glove award. The Padres’ presence because the Dodgers’ foil isn’t incidental.
Kim, the Korean journalist, believes the group’s loyalties will probably be cut up.
“I’m glad that it’s the Dodgers that’s one of many groups that’s right here. The L.A. emblem, the Dodger Blue, has been a presence in Korea. Even with out the Seoul Sequence, you noticed a ton of Dodger caps in Korea, hoodies and issues like that. I do know Ha-Seong Kim is on the Padres, he’s gonna get numerous cheers. However on the finish of the day, the Dodgers group has completed traditionally loads for Korean baseball group. So if there was going to be a significant league baseball recreation in Korea, I feel it’s becoming that the Dodgers are one of many groups that’s going to be taking part in in it.
“There are such a lot of Dodger followers right here in Korea and so they get to see their favourite gamers in individual. So it’s a celebration.”
— Korean journalist Daniel Kim, by way of Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain
Photograph Credit score: Kirby Lee/Picture of Sport-USA TODAY Sports activities
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