Was there ever a foreigner who loved Korea like this?

Eric Thames (37), who played for the former NC Dinos, announced his retirement and revealed his special love for Korea. Thames announced his retirement in English and Korean on his SNS account on the 16th (hereafter Korean time).

In particular, he left a special retirement message for NC and Korean fans. “I never thought I would fall in love with a country like this. I had no idea how much fun it would be to play in the KBO. I really did my best for all the reasons for your support,” he conveyed his sincere heart.

“Thank you so much for embracing me and Dinos. No matter which KBO team you support, I love you all! I am going to visit Korea, and if you see me, please do not hesitate to say hello!!”

Thames’ major career was short-lived. He joined the Toronto Blue Jays in the 7th round of the 2008 rookie draft and made his major league debut in 2011. However, in just two years, he batted .25 in 181 games (158 hits in 633 at-bats) with 21 home runs and 62 RBIs for a .728 OPS.

He went down to the minor leagues again and after some consideration, he signed a contract with the new NC Dinos in 2014. It was a choice to greet the peak of baseball life. In 3 seasons until 2016, he recorded a batting average of 3459, 472 hits, 124 homers, 382 RBIs, an on-base percentage of 455, a slugging average of .721 OPS of 1.172 in 390 games. 메이저놀이터

In 2015, he won MVP with a special performance of 1.287 OPS, 180 hits, 47 homers, 140 RBIs and 40 stolen bases in 142 games. He set dazzling records, such as 40 home runs -40 stolen bases and 2 cycling hits, that no one had ever climbed. He was permanently absent grade.

The hotajun tribe, the power of supernatural power was feared by other clubs. Moreover, he was good at servicing his fans and got along with his colleagues without hesitation. His tenacity in training greatly influenced his teammates, including Na Seong-beom. The fans’ support for Thames was also absolute. Not only NC fans, but also fans of other clubs applauded Thames’ performance and personality.

Thames re-entered the major leagues based on his performance in the KBO League. It was a 3+1 year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017 for up to $24.5 million. It was an unexpected twist when I knocked on the door of the KBO League. Thames succeeded by hitting 31 homers in 2017, but after that, he did not play a big role and eventually took off his clothes this time.

Since the introduction of the foreign player system in 1999, many foreigners have played on the KBO stage. There were also many players who achieved great results, including Thames, Tyron Woods (Doosan), Mel Rojas Jr. (KT), Daniel Rios (KIA-Doosan), Dustin Nippert (Doosan), and Aquilino Lopez (KIA).