(cartoon by Choi Hoon, Naver.com, used sans permission)
On a Monday when we could very consider the upcoming MLB playoffs or the unsurprising terminations of Ken Macha, Jerry Manuel or Omar Minaya, let’s instead focus for a second on Pittsburgh righty Chan Ho-Park, who achieved a considerable milestone Saturday in the penultimate game of yet another shitty Pirates season. From The Korea Times’ Yi Whan-woo :
The 17-year veteran of the Pittsburgh Pirates shut out the Florida Marlins for three innings in a 5-1 victory in Pittsburgh to earn career MLB victory 124, passing Hideo Nomo of Japan™s 123 for the most by an Asian-born pitcher in the American big leagues.
œIt took time for me to earn my 123rd, and I now have marked 124, which makes a lot of difference. I™m so pleased for that, Park said via his personal website, chanhopark61.com.
MLB.com quoted Park as saying that œOne hundred-and-twenty-four is not great for the Major Leagues, but it™s very special.
Park went on to say that œIt reminds me of 17-years ago, when I first came to the United States. I appreciate the people who brought me here and helped me. I™ve met a lot of special people throughout my career, and today, that means a lot.
Perhaps no person as special as former Rangers owner Tom Hicks, who lavished $65 million on Park over the course of 5 horrific seasons. It’s hard to imagine Oliver Perez, he of yesterday’s cherry-on-the-cake game winning, bases-loaded BB, hanging around long enough to amass 124 victories, let alone half that many (an 0-5, 6.80 ERA 2010 left Ollie stuck on 58).