Eric Thames (37), from NC Dinos, one of the most influential foreign hitters in KBO league history, officially announced his retirement.
On the 16th, Thames announced his retirement from active duty through his SNS. He finished his active career after playing in the major leagues in the US through the KBO League, but his thoughts on retirement were centered on the KBO League and NC. Along with a video of his performance during his Dinos days, he first greeted Korean fans who cheered him on at the time in Korean.
“From thinking about retirement, to signing with NC. All of this happened in a few days in 2013. I never thought I would fall in love with a country so quickly. I certainly had no idea how much fun it would be to play in the KBO. Guys. For all the reasons to cheer for this, I really trained to the best of my ability,” recalling the happy three years.
Thames performed super-class in NC for three seasons from 2014 to 2016. He posted a phenomenal 0.349 batting average (472 hits in 1351 at-bats) for his three-year career, along with 124 home runs, 382 RBIs, 343 runs scored, and 64 stolen bases. 온라인카지노
In particular, the 2015 season, the second year of his joining, was a crazy mode. With a whopping 0.381 batting average, 140 RBIs, 47 homers and 40 stolen bases, he achieved an unprecedented 40 home runs -40 stolen bases in the KBO League, becoming the league’s MVP. He also achieved two cycling hits for the first time in a single season. A tremendous performance that never disappointed the fans every season.
Although he was good at baseball, he also got along happily with his teammates without hesitation, such as performing a humorous beard-pulling ceremony with Kim Tae-gun after hitting a home run. His fan service was also top notch. It was no exaggeration to say that he was the best outsider in the history of the KBO League in terms of his skill, personality, and work style. As such, he was greatly loved by Korean baseball fans beyond NC. Even now, photos commemorating Thames’ 40-40 and two cycling hits in a single season are hung on the outer wall of Masan Baseball Stadium, creating memories among fans.
Thames, who stormed the KBO league and made a golden return to the major leagues, hit 31 homers in his first year in Milwaukee, consistently hitting double-digit homers every season for three years.
Thames concluded, “Thank you for embracing me and NC. No matter which team you support, I love all of you. I will be visiting Korea often, and if you see me, please do not hesitate to say hello.”
The best foreign player who made a mark in the 40-year history of the KBO League. Thames, who misses Korea until the moment of his retirement, leaves the familiar ground and begins a second life. As he said at the end, “The next page of my life will be insanely great,” we look forward to the second act of the passionate bearded man’s wonderful life.