Chan Ho Park Joins Athletics Ownership Group
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
Former pitcher becomes first Korean to buy a stake in an MLB team as the Athletics prepare for a Las Vegas move.
Chan Ho Park, a former major-league pitcher, has become the first Korean investor to buy a stake in an MLB franchise, according to Sportsnet. Park, who played 17 seasons in the bigs, is joining the Athletics' ownership structure as the team prepares to move to Las Vegas in 2028. In addition to his investment, Park will serve as a senior adviser to owner John Fisher.
According to Sportsnet, the investment group Team61—which includes actors Daniel Dae Kim and Ken Jeong—announced a total investment of $70 million. Of that amount, $55 million is committed, with an additional $15 million contingent upon approval from Major League Baseball.
Fisher stated that the partnership is intended to create long-lasting positive impacts, noting that South Korea is an exciting country for baseball. Park said he hopes the collaboration with the Athletics will create more opportunities for future players and elevate Korean baseball.
This move follows another recent addition to the ownership group. Sportsnet also reported that Harbinger Sports Group, whose investors include ex-Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, purchased a minority stake in the A's on Thursday. While specific details of that deal were not released, Harbinger stated it has raised over $460 million in less than six months.
The A's are spending their second of three planned seasons in West Sacramento, California, while a $2 billion, 33,000-person domed stadium is being built on the Las Vegas Strip.