The Life and Times of Chan Ho Park

           Chan Ho Park is on the disabled list with the San Diego Padres after undergoing surgery to repair intenstinal bleeding and his season appears over.

            So too is the five-year, $65 million contract that he signed with the Rangers in the winter of 2001-2002            

            What’s stunning is the huge difference between Park in 1997-2001, when he was a front-line starter for the Dodgers and one of the better pitchers in the game, and what he did after signing the big contract with the Rangers.

           Here is the breakdown, five years before the contract and the five years after:

            From 1997-2001, he was 75-49 with a 3.79 ERA. From 2002 he was 33-33 with a 5.53 ERA.

            In 1997-2001, he pitched in 169 games and pitched 1,067 innings. Since then he has pitched in 101 games and 563 innings.

            In 1997-2001, he struck out 8.15 batters per nine innings, allowed 7.69 hits, 4.07 walks and 12.31 baserunners. In 2002-2006, he struck out just 6.54 batters, allowed 9.98 hits, 4.14 walks and 14.90 baserunners per nine innings.

            Here is the most stunning one. In 1997-2001, he had 108 quality starts where he pitched at least six innings and allowed three runs or less. He had just 35 quality starts over the past five years.

            The other staggering difference was the time he missed.

            In 1997-2001, he missed ten games because of two suspensions. He never missed a game because of the disabled list. He was on the disabled list seven times in the past five years.

            Park started 165 games between 1997-2001, tied for the seventh most in the Major Leagues. Only ten pitchers threw more innings and only 12 pitchers won more games.

            Park started 98 games over the past five years. There were 97 pitchers who started more. There were 109 pitches who pitched more innings and 103 who won more games than Park.

            Park made a total of just over $17 million between 1997-2001. That was $226.666 per victory or $15,932 per inning pitched. During his five-year, $65 million contract, he made $1,969,696 per victory and $115,453 per inning pitched.

            Park was also paid approximately $24.5 million of his $65 million contract for days that were spent on the disabled list.            

           When Park was a free agent in the winter of 2001-02, the assumption was that his agent, Scott Boras, would demand a five-year contract.

            People were surprised then when Park only signed a five-year deal with the Texas Rangers worth $65 million. But Boras insisted he had a plan. Park would be 33 years old, Boras explained, when the contract was over.

          Assuming that he pitched as good as he did in the five years before the deal was signed Boras expected that he would be able to sign Park to one more big contract.

       If he decides to pitch next year, he’ll likely have to come to Spring Training with somebody on a Minor League contract.