ed A beautiful finale

For most Koreans, Park Chan-ho was more than just a baseballer for quite a long time. He was their hero true to its name.

The nation’s first major league player, and most successful one so far, reached his peak in 1997-98 when his country was at its bottom with a worst economic crisis. Many Koreans saw hope and won comfort from the winningest pitcher of the Los Angeles Dodgers during their darkest economic years.

As Park was at his ebb a little earlier than expected, some fans wanted him to rather call it quits not to tarnish his glorious past. Still Park pushed ahead, joining six more teams. Was it because of money or lingering attachment to go back to his top shape, which seemed increasingly unlikely?

Announcing his retirement from the field Friday, the 39-year-old veteran right-hander said it was his love of the sport and his wish to keep challenging, win or lose or succeed or fail, as long as he could.

We thought so. And hope Park will go down in Korean, and the U.S., baseball history less as one of the several hundred hurlers that won more than 100 times nor even as the pitcher of Asian descent with most wins than as the player who tried his utmost for 17 long years in one of the world’s best and toughest sports environments, with both humble bearings and undaunted spirits.

There were of course less prideful moments and records that might have been better without being attributed to Park during his MLB careers. As far as Korean fans are concerned, and we hope for many U.S. fans, too, these will go on as records that must have been made by someone, some time, in this sport of the first, most and the longest.

At the news conference, Park, 124-98 with a 4.36 ERA, called himself the ``luckiest guy among Korean baseballers.” But for anyone who knows luck alone guarantees nothing in sports, and life, it was just another comment betraying Park’s humility. Had it not been for this mental maturity, it would not have been easy for him to mingle with players up to 20 years younger than him at Hanwha Eagles, a franchise based on his hometown where Park spent his final year of active playing.

Park said he is leaving the mound for good, but it is not an end but a new beginning, as he will continue to be around the diamond as a manager or administrator. Fans are anticipating seeing as great, if different, contribution as he made to Korea’s fantastic performances in the Olympics and World Baseball Classics.

So goodbye Korean Express, and hello Manager Park!