PHOENIX — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park was still upset today about an incident in Beijing over the weekend in which he was kept from signing autographs for a throng of Korean fans.

Chinese security forces refused to let Park through to his fans after pitching in Saturday's exhibition game between Los Angeles and the San Diego Padres.

"It was hundreds of Korean people, young kids who go to school in China and those who came a long way to watch the game and then wait a couple hours to get my autograph," said Park, a sports hero in his native South Korea. "For me, it's important to make the Korean people happy."

He said he didn't understand why the security forces would not let him through, and neither he nor the Dodgers were able to break the impasse.

"I didn't understand what they were saying, they were just pushing me away," Park said.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre said he didn't believe the incident to be solely due to language barriers.

"I don't think it was a misunderstanding," Torre said. "I think it was something about how other people live."

Eventually Park decided to tell his fans to meet him at his hotel, where he would sign autographs, or to come back the next day. He said he was able to sign for 20 to 30 fans who came to his hotel and for another 40 who returned to Wukesong Stadium on Sunday.

"But I don't know how many couldn't make it," Park said. "It was very important to me, because I feel very appreciative to them that they came a long way. People drove for hours from other cities and people came from Korea."

While Park was still concerned that some of his fans may not have been able to get his autograph, he took great comfort in seeing them in China.

"I was very appreciative, especially when I saw the Korean flags they were holding," he said. "It made me feel special."

The Dodgers' squad that played in China worked out today at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The rest of the team left Florida after a 2-1 victory over the Florida Marlins, and after taking Wednesday off, they'll face the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

Third baseman Nomar Garciaparra took batting practice Tuesday and hopes to play in a game by this weekend. Garciaparra hasn't played since being hit by a pitch on his right hand March 7. He said he still has some pain when swinging a bat, but feels fine throwing the ball.

"It's definitely gotten progressively better over the last week," he said. "I've got a lot of the swelling out now."

Garciaparra said he has been doing lots of wrist exercises, and will continue to swing the bat to keep his wrist loose and strong.

"I'll still keep hitting because you want to keep the motion going," he said. "The more I do that, it's like breaking barriers."