A WALK IN THE PARK; LIFE IS GOOD FOR DODGERS' KOREAN RIGHT-HANDER.Byline: Orange County Register For Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park, 1997 has been a breakthrough season. But we're not talking baseball here. This is the year that the hard-throwing righty right·y Informal n. pl. right·ies 1. A right-handed person. 2. An advocate or member of the political right. adv. became a marketing phenomenon in his native South Korea. Park, who earned $270,000 hurling for the Dodgers this season, will get $2.9 million - more than 10 times his salary - hawking sneakers sneakers Noun, pl US, Canad, Austral & NZ canvas shoes with rubber soles sneakers npl (US) → zapatos mpl de lona; zapatillas fpl , soft drinks, potato chips and computers in his homeland. Park has parlayed a brief and blossoming career into a lucrative marketing enterprise. His success is simple: Park is the first and only Korean to play in the major leagues. His popularity is huge at home and has grown as he developed into one of baseball's premier pitchers. ``He is a hero there,'' said Greg Via, director of sports marketing Sport marketing (or "sports marketing" in the US) (1) the specific application of marketing principles and processes to sport products (e.g., teams, leagues, events, etc.) and (2) the the marketing of non-sports products (e.g., cigarettes, beer, long-distance phone service, etc. for Gatorade, which signed Park to endorse the sports beverage in South Korea. ``We were lucky to be able to be associated with him.'' Park solidified his status as South Korea's greatest endorser last month when he signed that country's most lucrative marketing deal ever. Park agreed to pitch Tri Gem Computer Inc.'s Sambo computers for $895,000. That deal eclipsed South Korea's previous endorsement record - $500,000 paid to actress Meg Ryan for promoting a shampoo called Sexy Mild. Park is so big in South Korea that Nike will use Park to market its new Air Franchise shoe there. (It will be marketed in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. by other athletes.) Park will debut the shoe Sunday afternoon, when he starts the Dodgers' final game of the season, against the Colorado Rockies For the National Hockey League team (1976 – 1982), now known as the New Jersey Devils, see . The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. They are in the West Division of the National League. . Park is already the centerpiece of Nike's South Korean advertising. And the ads featuring Park run not just during baseball games, but during other sporting events and even in prime time. By comparison, Nike has accorded that elite marketing status in the United States to such athletes as Michael Jordan This article is about the former basketball player. For other uses, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation). Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17 1963) is a retired American professional basketball player. and Ken Griffey Ken Griffey may refer to:
Park ``transcends baseball over there,'' Nike spokeswoman Robin Carr-Locke said. Park was already a star in South Korea when the Dodgers signed him as a free agent in 1994. He worked his way through the Dodgers farm system before landing a spot as a Dodgers regular last year. This season, Park has been a leader on the Dodgers' vaunted vaunt v. vaunt·ed, vaunt·ing, vaunts v.tr. To speak boastfully of; brag about. v.intr. To speak boastfully; brag. See Synonyms at boast1. n. 1. but disappointing pitching staff. He finished with the team's second-best earned-run average among starting pitchers (3.38), and tied for the lead in wins with Japanese pitcher Hideo Nomo (14). CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Chan Ho Park had a breakthrough season for the Dodgers in 1997. Daily News File Photo |
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