Park Jung-Jin
Encyclopedia
Park Jung-Jin (born May 27, 1976 in Cheongju
, Chungcheongbuk-do
) is a South Korean left-handed
closer
who plays for the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Professional Baseball.
held in Brandon, Manitoba
. Park led Team Korea to win its second world junior championship as one of the key figures in the team's pitching rotation alongside Lee Seung-Yeop and Kim Sun-Woo.
Park was generally expected to be a top pick in the 1995 KBO draft. However, he decided to withdraw from the draft, opting to go to college instead. After graduation from high school in 1995, Park enrolled in Yonsei University
. During his four collegiate years, he was regularly called up to the South Korean national team and showed promising performances in the major international competitions .
s, 3 saves and 11 hold
s with a career-low 4.31 ERA, taking a role as a utility pitcher. However, in 2004, Park's form dipped again with only 4 holds and a 5.51 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched.
Park left the Eagles after the 2004 season to enter mandatory military service. He came back to the team in 2008 but hardly seized an opportunity to pitch, spending most of his time in the farm league
. After the 2009 season, a rumor surfaced that Park would be released by the Eagles as a free agent but he managed to survive final roster cuts and join spring training camp for the 2010 season.
As Australia
n closer Brad Thomas
left the Eagles for the Detroit Tigers
in MLB after the 2009 season, former Minnesota Twins
setup man
Julio DePaula
became a closer for the 2010 Eagles, where manager Han Dae-Hwa
intended to use Park as a left-handed specialist
or long reliever
. Park had a surprising ERA of 1.65 and posted 5 scoreless holds in May and June, appearing in 22 games out of the bullpen. In the middle of the 2010 season
, injuries to a number of key starter
s crippled the Eagles and DePaula eventually moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation to fill the void, which opened the door for Park to move into the closer's role.
Cheongju
Cheongju is the capital city of Chungcheongbuk-do , South Korea. The city is divided into two wards , Heungdeok-gu and Sangdang-gu .-History:...
, Chungcheongbuk-do
Chungcheongbuk-do
Chungcheongbuk-do is a province in the centre of South Korea. It was formed in 1896 from the northeastern half of the former Chungcheong province...
) is a South Korean left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
who plays for the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Professional Baseball.
Amateur career
In his last season at Sekwang High School in 1994, Park was called up as a member of the South Korean national U-18 baseball team and competed in the World Junior Baseball ChampionshipWorld Junior Baseball Championship
The IBAF AAA World Junior Championships is an under-18 international baseball competition sponsored by the International Baseball Federation , which was first held in 1981 in United States...
held in Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
. Park led Team Korea to win its second world junior championship as one of the key figures in the team's pitching rotation alongside Lee Seung-Yeop and Kim Sun-Woo.
Park was generally expected to be a top pick in the 1995 KBO draft. However, he decided to withdraw from the draft, opting to go to college instead. After graduation from high school in 1995, Park enrolled in Yonsei University
Yonsei University
Yonsei University is a Christian private research university, located in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1885, it is one of the oldest universities in South Korea, the top private comprehensive universities in South Korea, and is widely regarded as one of the top three comprehensive...
. During his four collegiate years, he was regularly called up to the South Korean national team and showed promising performances in the major international competitions .
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | World Junior Baseball Championship World Junior Baseball Championship The IBAF AAA World Junior Championships is an under-18 international baseball competition sponsored by the International Baseball Federation , which was first held in 1981 in United States... |
 |
|
| 1995 | Intecontinental Cup Intercontinental Cup (baseball) The Intercontinental Cup is a baseball tournament between the members of the International Baseball Federation . It was first held in 1973 in Italy, and was held every other year following until 1999.... |
5th | |
| 1997 | Asian Baseball Championship Asian Baseball Championship The Asian Baseball Championship is the main championship tournament between national baseball teams in Asia, governed by the Baseball Federation of Asia . It is held every other year in odd-numbered years and since 1983 it also functions as the qualification games for the Baseball at the Summer... |
|
|
| 1998 | Baseball World Cup |  |
Professional career
Park was drafted by the Hanwha Eagles in the first round of the 1999 KBO Draft. He join the team to high expectations, where many expected him to be the future face of the Eagles. However, Park never took off the way he was expected to in the team, having a disappointing 8.03 ERA in his rookie season and going 5-5 with a 6.37 ERA from 2000 to 2002. In 2003, he pitched over 100 innings (100.1) and posted 6 winWin (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
s, 3 saves and 11 hold
Hold (baseball)
A hold is awarded to a relief pitcher who meets the following three conditions:Unlike saves, wins, and losses, more than one pitcher per team can earn a hold for a game, though it is not possible for a pitcher to receive more than one hold in a given game...
s with a career-low 4.31 ERA, taking a role as a utility pitcher. However, in 2004, Park's form dipped again with only 4 holds and a 5.51 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched.
Park left the Eagles after the 2004 season to enter mandatory military service. He came back to the team in 2008 but hardly seized an opportunity to pitch, spending most of his time in the farm league
Korea Baseball Futures League
Futures League is the 2nd highest level below that of Korea Professional Baseball in South Korea. It has a role as a farm league, whose the purpose is to develop players available to play in Korea Professional Baseball league on demand. Futures League consists of two small leagues that are...
. After the 2009 season, a rumor surfaced that Park would be released by the Eagles as a free agent but he managed to survive final roster cuts and join spring training camp for the 2010 season.
As Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n closer Brad Thomas
Brad Thomas
Bradley Richard Thomas is an Australian professional baseball pitcher that is currently a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers, in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and in the Korean Baseball Organization for the...
left the Eagles for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in MLB after the 2009 season, former Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
setup man
Setup pitcher
In baseball, a setup pitcher is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the 7th and/or 8th innings, with the closer pitching the 9th....
Julio DePaula
Julio DePaula
Julio Cesar DePaula is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He is currently a free agent.He appeared in 16 games for the Minnesota Twins in the season, pitching 20 innings total...
became a closer for the 2010 Eagles, where manager Han Dae-Hwa
Han Dae-Hwa
Han Dae-Hwa is a former South Korean third baseman and the current manager of the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization.- External links :...
intended to use Park as a left-handed specialist
Left-handed specialist
In baseball, a left-handed specialist is a left-handed relief pitcher who specializes in pitching to left-handed batters, or to switch-hitters who bat poorly right-handed...
or long reliever
Long reliever
A Long reliever is a type of relief pitcher in baseball.Long relievers traditionally enter early in a game when the starting pitcher cannot continue, whether due to ineffective pitching, lack of endurance, rain delays, injury, or ejection...
. Park had a surprising ERA of 1.65 and posted 5 scoreless holds in May and June, appearing in 22 games out of the bullpen. In the middle of the 2010 season
2010 Korea Professional Baseball season
The Korea Professional Baseball season was the 29th season in the history of the Korea Professional Baseball. The SK Wyverns won the regular season and Korean series.-Season Format:*Regular Season: 133 games for each team...
, injuries to a number of key starter
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
s crippled the Eagles and DePaula eventually moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation to fill the void, which opened the door for Park to move into the closer's role.
External links
- Profile and stats from KBO official site
- Profile and stats from Hanwha Eagles official site