What Better Pitchman Than Dodgers’ Park?

Chan Ho Park’s legend in Korea just keeps growing.

The Dodger pitcher signed an agreement worth $895,000 to endorse computers for a South Korean company, the largest such contract awarded in that country. This will give him total endorsement income of about $2.9 million, more than 10 times the $270,000 he will make this year pitching for the Dodgers.

“Chan Ho deserves all this,” agent Steve Kim said. “He’s a national hero.”

Park became the first Korean to play in the major leagues when he joined the Dodgers in 1994. His hometown of Kong Ju City held a parade in his honor last winter.

And Park’s book, “Hey Dude,” is on the best-seller list in Korea.

Trivia time: Which two NFL coaches were once traded for each other?

Defiant one: Philadelphia pitcher Curt Schilling, on what it’s like to be one of baseball’s dominant pitchers:

“There are times when I’m on the mound, and I know I’m going to throw a fastball, the hitter knows I’m going to throw a fastball, everybody in both dugouts, everybody in the stadium knows a fastball is coming. And there’s nothing the hitter can do about it.

“That feeling, when you’re really in the groove--other than winning--that’s the thing I play baseball for. It’s such an adrenaline rush, there’s nothing like it.”

The way it is: Before a New Orleans Saint exhibition game, Coach Mike Ditka was relaxing on the bench when a woman leaned over the wall and asked for his autograph, saying, “My son is afraid to ask you.”

“He should be,” Ditka replied as he stood up and signed.

Safe--and out: Manny Ramirez stole second base against the Detroit Tigers, but the Cleveland Indian outfielder then was thrown out as he jogged back toward first base.

“I thought it was a foul ball,” Ramirez explained.

Manager Mike Hargrove was not amused.

“In all my years in baseball I’ve never seen that,” Hargrove said. “I asked Manny if someone told him it was a foul ball. He said no. That definitely won’t happen again.”

Another boo-boo: Then there was Rene Lachemann, the St. Louis Cardinal third base coach who waved home Tom Lampkin from first on a hit to center with two out in the ninth and the Cardinals three runs down to the Atlanta Braves. Lampkin was an easy out at home.

“You can’t be making that mistake at the major league level and you can’t be making it at the Little League level, park league, pickup league, wherever you play baseball,” Lachemann said. “Pure stupidity. I hope I never make one like that again because I’ll be looking for another job.”

Bright future: Cory Paus is one of the hottest prep quarterbacks in the Chicago area, but he says he would rather become a sports broadcaster than play in the NFL. You have to like his attitude.

“I don’t want to be as annoying as Dick Vitale,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Trivia answer: Ray Rhodes of the Philadelphia Eagles from the New York Giants to San Francisco in 1979 for Tony Dungy of Tampa Bay.

And finally: When former Angel utility player Rex Hudler was on a rehabilitation assignment with the Philadelphia Phillies, he delivered an inspirational message to the team’s minor leaguers:

“The cream always rises to the top. I’m a good example of that . . . not exactly whipped cream. I’m kind of an ugly foam.”