Chan Ho Park Net Worth

What is Chan Ho Park's Net Worth?

Chan Ho Park is a South Korean former professional baseball pitcher who has a net worth of $40 million. The first South Korean-born player in MLB history, Chan Ho Park played for seven MLB teams between 1994 and 2010, spending most of his time with his first team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Park also played for NPB's Orix Buffaloes and the KBO League's Hanwha Eagles, as well as for the South Korea national baseball team.

Contracts, Salaries & Career Earnings

Chan Ho Park earned more than $85 million in salary during his Major League Baseball career, making him one of the most financially successful South Korean athletes of his generation. After breaking into the league with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994, he established himself as a reliable starter and eventually cashed in with a landmark contract in 2001. That year, Park signed a five-year, $65 million deal with the Texas Rangers, one of the largest pitching contracts in baseball at the time. Though injuries limited his effectiveness during much of that stretch, he continued to find opportunities with other clubs, including the San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Pittsburgh Pirates. His peak earning years came during his Texas tenure, but even in later seasons he collected multi-million dollar salaries while contributing as a starter and reliever. Combined with endorsement deals in South Korea, Park's MLB contracts cemented his status as a trailblazer who not only opened the door for future Asian players but also proved they could achieve financial success at the highest level of the sport.

Early Life and Education

Chan Ho Park was born on June 30, 1973 in Gongju, South Korea. He attended Gongju High School, where he was named MVP of the baseball team for three consecutive seasons. Park went on to attend Hanyang University in Seoul, but left in 1994 when he signed with MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent.

Los Angeles Dodgers, 1994-2001

After signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994, Park made his MLB debut on April 8. He played in just one more game with the Dodgers that season, as he spent most of his time with the Class AA San Antonio Missions. Park went on to spend nearly all of the 1995 season in the minors with the Albuquerque Dukes. With 101 strikeouts and the best fastball in the Pacific Coast League, Park was called up to the Dodgers in September. He had his first full season with the team in 1996, and went 5-5 with a 3.64 ERA in 48 games. Park's breakout season came the next year, when he served as a full-time starter and went 14-8 with a 3.38 ERA. He had another strong season in 1998, going 15-9 with a 3.71 ERA.

Park had a mostly disastrous season 1999, as he struggled with a 13-11 record and a 5.23 ERA. Moreover, he became the first pitcher in MLB history to allow two grand slams in the same inning and to the same player — the St. Louis Cardinals' Fernando Tatís. To make matters even worse, Park was involved in an on-field brawl with Anaheim Angels pitcher Tim Belcher at Dodger Stadium in early June. He bounced back in a major way in 2000 with an 18-10 record and a 3.27 ERA, both career bests. Also that season, Park struck out 217 batters and pitched his first career complete game shutout. In 2001, he went 15-11 with a 3.50 ERA and earned his first and only All-Star Game selection.

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Texas Rangers

As a free agent, Park signed a five-year contract with the Texas Rangers in late 2001. In his first season with the team, he went 9-8 with a 5.75 ERA in 25 starts. Due to various injuries in his second season with the Rangers, Park went 1-3 with a 7.58 ERA in just seven starts. He was traded by the Rangers midway through the 2005 season.

San Diego Padres

Park joined the San Diego Padres midway through the 2005 season. He would go on to have a truncated tenure with the team, as multiple episodes of intestinal bleeding and surgery caused him to miss most of the 2006 season. However, Park was able to rejoin the Padres for the playoffs, making his postseason debut in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cardinals. The Padres ultimately lost to the Cardinals in four games.

Return to the Minors in 2007

In 2007, Park signed a one-year deal with the New York Mets. However, due to a poor spring performance, he was demoted to the minors. Park was called up to the Mets at the end of April but was soon sent back to the minors in early May. In early June, he was designated for assignment, and a week later he signed a minor league deal with the Houston Astros. Park had 15 starts for the franchise's Triple-A Round Rock and went 2-10.

Return to the Dodgers in 2008

Park returned to his first team, the Dodgers, in 2008. He made the first start of his second tenure with the team on May 17 in a 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels. The next month, Park became just the fifth MLB pitcher ever to start a game against all 30 MLB teams.

Philadelphia Phillies

In early 2009, Park signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He got off to a poor start that season, with his 7.29 ERA in seven starts prompting his move to the bullpen. Park improved after the move, and ended up playing a crucial role in the bullpen with a 2.52 ERA. He went on to appear in the postseason as the Phillies advanced to the World Series. There, the team lost to the New York Yankees in six games. Park became a free agent following the season.

Final MLB Year in 2010

Park signed a one-year contract with the New York Yankees in early 2010. However, he struggled on the team and was designated for assignment at the end of July. In early August, Park was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates. With the team, he recorded his 124th career win, the most-ever by an Asian-born pitcher in MLB. After the season, he became a free agent.

Orix Buffaloes and Hanwha Eagles

In 2011, Park played in Japan for Nippon Professional Baseball's Orix Buffaloes. The next year, he played in his native South Korea for the KBO League's Hanwha Eagles. With the Eagles, Park went 5-10 with a 5.06 ERA. Following the 2012 season, he announced his retirement from baseball.

South Korea National Team

Park played with the South Korea national baseball team on several occasions. In 1993, he helped the team win silver medals at the Asian Baseball Championship and the XVII Summer Universiade. Park helped South Korea to a third-place finish in the 1995 World Baseball Classic. In 1998, he helped his country win gold at the Asian Games in Bangkok. Park later had success at the 2007 Asian Baseball Championship in Taichung, winning another silver for South Korea.

Other Appearances

In 2020, Park appeared as himself in two episodes of the South Korean television series "Start-Up." The year after that, he played in two golf tournaments on the Korean Tour.

Personal Life

In late 2005, Park married Korean-Japanese socialite and chef Ri-hye Park. They have three daughters together.

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