Chance Slim for Park

By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter

Park Chan-ho, once one of the most dominant pitchers in the U.S. Major Leagues, has a final shot at reviving his big league career with his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, after joining the club by signing a cheap minor league contract.

But with another Asian pitcher headed to Los Angeles, it could be difficult for Park, a 33-year-old right-hander who has compiled 113 victories in 13 seasons, to get on the mound at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers recently completed a deal with Japanese ace Hiroki Kuroda of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Kuroda, 33, had a 103-89 record and a 3.69 ERA in 271 games during 11 years in Japan. He went 12-8 with a 3.56 ERA in 26 games last season, working seven complete games, and was a Japanese All-Star each of the past three years.

According to the Dodgers, their rotation will go with Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley and Kuroda, while Jason Schmidt and Esteban Loaiza are expected to battle for one remaining spot.

Park, who returned to Los Angeles earlier this month, six years after he left the team for the Texas Rangers in free agency in 2001, will also be gunning for the slot during the Dodgers' spring camp, although the test is getting tougher due to the Kuroda signing.

Former All-Star Schmidt is the biggest threat for Park to overcome. The 34-year-old right-handed hurler, who signed a $47 million contract with the Dodgers last year, posted a 1-4 record with a 6.31 ERA in six games, before a shoulder injury shut him down for the season in June. If the fastballer returns to his old form, which earned him 128 wins along with a 3.94 ERA, he will be a top candidate for the fifth-starter spot.

Otherwise, Park and Loaiza can get another shot.

Loaiza, a Mexican who won 21 games with the Chicago White Sox in 2003, joined the Dodgers in August after being released by the Oakland Athletics, but failed to impress the team with a 1-4 record and an 8.34 ERA record. But his higher salary, $6.5 million, is likely to get him more chances than Park, who will receive $30,000.

However, as shown by his performance for the South Korean national team during the final qualifying round for the Beijing Olympics earlier this month, Park still can throw a fastball up to 150 kmph, which made some scouts say he's still capable of pitching in the big leagues.

``He cannot throw a faster ball than now, but if he maintains his ball speed and pitches, depending on his lower body, he will be able to rise again,'' said Sun Dong-yon, who coached Park on the national team.

ksw@koreatimes.co.kr

[Full Article: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2007/12/136_15666.html]