Chan Ho Beard: Is This Goodbye?

Chan Ho Park has signed a one-year contract with the New York Yankees to the tune of $1.2 million with $300,000 worth of incentive-laden possibilities. The deal is pending a physical, and possibly the removal of one badass, ever-changing Chan Ho Beard.

The right-hander and his awesome scruff went 3-3 with a 4.43 ERA in 45 games for the Philadelphia Phillies last season, 38 of them starts. Over 50 innings of relief, he sported a nice 2.52 ERA. Naturally, the Yankees took notice of this and decided to purchase him for their bullpen.

Park announced the news at a press conference in South Korea Monday morning, telling his countrymen he had also thought about signing with the Chicago Cubs, who promised him a spot in their rotation. Though the almighty dollar may have played a role in this decision, Park says playoff probability did as well

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The C.C. Sabathia Show

C.C. Sabathia promised his teammates a homer Saturday, and a homer they received.

The Cleveland Indians ace wasted little time in fulfilling his oath, launching a 1-0 pitch served up by Los Angeles Dodgers starter Chan Ho Park 440 feet and into the right field corner during his first at bat. This marks Sabathia's second career home run, improving his lifetime batting average to .300 with seven RBIs.

Oh, but that's not all. Captain Cheeseburger also fanned ten in his club's 7-2, 11-inning win. Manager Eric Wedge even went as far as to call him "a fantastic athlete."

...

The hefty lefty allowed just one run on five hits, spiking his league-leading strikeout total to 107 K's. Hopefully the Tribe enjoy him while he's still around.

[MLB] | [Clubhouse Cancer] | [Tribe Source] | [Rounding the Bases]

Park Has Found A Home

The Houston Astros signed right-hander Chan Ho Park to a minor league deal yesterday. Why? We're not exactly sure.

Park will report to the AAA Round Rock Express and could possibly be called up to help the Astros later this year.

The 33-year-old veteran has a career 113-88 record with a 4.40 ERA in 324 games. His best years were spent in Los Angeles with the Dodgers when he won 75 games from 1997 to 2001.

It seems those years are long behind him, however.

Park started this season with the New York Mets, who sent him on assignment and dumped him shortly thereafter. He gave up seven runs in his first and only start with the club.

[Houston Chronicle]

El Duque On The DL

The New York Mets have scratched veteran Orlando Hernández from Monday night's start against the Florida Marlins and placed him on the disabled list with bursitis in his right shoulder.

What exactly is bursitis, you ask? According to the Mayo Clinic, it is a painful condition caused by inflammation in the areas around your joints. Ouch. The pain usually goes away within a week or so with proper treatment, but flare-ups are common and can be frustrating.

El Duque is 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA in five starts this season.

Hernández was replaced by Chan Ho Park, who was happily recalled from AAA New Orleans.

Park was rather upset when he was moved to the bullpen before being optioned to AAA, under the assumption he came to New York to be a starter. He wasn't too hot in four outings with the Zephyrs, allowing 26 hits in 21 innings, including six home runs. He compiled a 3-1 record and a 7.29 ERA.

[New York Daily News] | [Surfing The Mets]

Chan Ho Park Sent Down to Minors

Chan Ho Park signed with the New York Mets for an opportunity to be a starting pitcher with a successful club. He was unhappily sent to the bullpen this week before being optioned to AAA New Orleans this weekend.

As expected, they have chosen to keep Mike Pelfrey around instead and will recall him in two weeks when they need a fifth starter.

The Mets pondered whether to keep 11 or 12 pitchers - eventually going with 11 - keeping the actual reliever in hard-throwing righty Ambiorix Burgos rather than the converted one in Park.

Chan Ho Park Not Happy About Move to Pen

The New York Mets narrowed their starting competition Saturday by sending Chan Ho Park to the bullpen. He used 27 pitches and struck out two batters over three perfect innings Saturday during New York's 2-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles split-squad.

The 33-year-old -hander says he's disappointed in manager Willie Randolph's decision to move him into relief. Park signed a one year, $600,000 contract with the Mets this offseason under the assumption he would be in the starting rotation.

Park was not impressed...

They asked me to be a reliever, and obviously I'm unhappy. I have to figure out what's best for the team. I don't know... I feel more comfortable as a starter.

The Mets haven't announced who their no. 3 and no. 4 starters will be, but those spots are expected to go to John Maine and Oliver Perez. This leaves an opportunity for top prospect Mike Pelfrey to claim the final spot in the rotation.

The 23-year-old right-hander was the ninth overall pick in the 2005 draft out of Wichita State and has given up only two earned runs in 14 innings this spring.

Right-hander Aaron Sele will also move to the bullpen. The 36-year-old is in camp on a minor league contract and has a 6.11 ERA in 17.2 innings.

[MLB]

Chan Ho Park Signs With Mets

Chan Ho Park reportedly signed a one-year, $600,000 contract with the New York Mets on Friday.

After signing a five-year deal with the Texas Rangers in 2001, Park wasn't all he was cracked up to be. He showed slight improvement after being dished to the San Diego Padres midway through the 2005 season, but missed a good portion of 2006 due to fun things like anemia and intestinal bleeding.