The 2024 MLB season is officiall underway, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres playing the first game of the schedule in South Korea.
As part of the league’s plans to expand to international locations, the two squads played a thrilling game in the opening of the Seoul Series, which will extend to Thursday.
After being down in the score for almost the entire game, the Dodgers came from behind in the eighth inning to secure a 5-2 win in convincing fashion.
Before the action, however, a local legend took the field.
It was Chan Ho Park, the first Korean to play in MLB back in the 1990s, who took the mound before Yu Darvish and Tyler Glasnow and threw the ceremonial first pitch in front of a packed stadium.
Why Park? Well, he is a living legend in Korea for the sole fact of paving the way for talented players of his country to play in the best league in the world.
Before Shin-Soo Choo, Ji-Man Choi, Jung-Hoo Lee, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and even current Padre Ha-Seong Kim, there was Park.
And to add some spice to the situation, he had stints with both teams on the field during his days as an active player.
“Chan Ho Park threw out the first pitch at #SeoulSeries Game 1 in a split Padres-Dodgers jersey,” MLB tweeted.
Chan Ho Park threw out the first pitch at #SeoulSeries Game 1 in a split Padres-Dodgers jersey 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MRJndL3Xpl
— MLB (@MLB) March 20, 2024
That’s why he used the split Padres-Dodgers jersey, and fans loved it.
During and after the game, people were still talking about the “Padgers” on Twitter.
Park was a Dodger from 1994 to 2001, and then again in 2008.
He left a solid 3.77 ERA over that time.
Then, in 2005 and 2006, he played in San Diego.
He wasn’t as good there, posting a 5.08 ERA.
Still, he is a big part of the current rivalry, having been on both sides of it.
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Fans React To Dodgers’ Comeback Win To Open 2024 Season