Eric Thames (37), considered the best foreign player in KBO league history, has officially announced his retirement.
On the 16th (Korean time), he announced his retirement through his SNS.
Thames drew attention by uploading his thoughts in Korean for Korean fans and a highlight video of his days at the NC Dinos on SNS announcing his retirement.
Thames said, “From worrying 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. I really trained to the best of my ability for all the reasons to support you,” he remembered his time in Korea.
Born in 1986, Thames joined the Toronto Blue Jays in the 7th round of the 2008 draft and made his major league debut in 2011. However, he spent more time in the minors than in the majors.
Then, he signed a contract with NC Dinos, a Korean team, for the 2014 season. Like Thames’ confession, until then, there was no information or affection about Korea at all.
However, he showed his best as a baseball player and received a lot of love from fans. As much as that love, Thames’ affection for Korea deepened.
The performance that Thames showed was ‘bombing’ itself.
He played for NC until 2016, recording a batting average of 0.349, 124 homers, 382 RBIs and 64 stolen bases in 390 KBO league careers over three years. He had a career on-base percentage of 0.451, a slugging percentage of 0.721, and an OPS of 1.172.
In the 2015 season, he was even MVP.
Thames also succeeded in hitting 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases, unprecedented in the KBO League.
Although the limitations of the new team were clear, the performance shown by Thames exceeded expectations.
In particular, since Na Seong-beom was still on the right track, he took down the opposing pitcher without being shaken even in a situation where he was virtually checked. Thames’ great success was a consolation and 바카라사이트, consolation to NC fans.
Thames loved Korea more than anyone else and expressed all of his love. He was loved by many not only for his baseball skills but also for his sincere attitude and humble attitude.
For the NC fans who were discouraged by the sadness of the new team, Thames was a source of pride. It could be said that it was more valuable than that.
Thames said, “Thank you so much for embracing me and the Dinos. No matter which KBO team you support, I love you all! I plan to visit Korea frequently, and if you see me, please do not hesitate to say hello!!”
As Thames announced that he would visit Korea often, there is an argument that he could hold a retirement ceremony for Thames.
Thames played such an impactful performance in Korea and did not hide his special feelings for Korea. It can be said that he has enough qualifications to create an opportunity to commemorate his retirement.
An NC official said, “It is not yet at the stage to talk in detail. However, since Thames plans to visit Korea frequently in the future, I think the story can come out naturally in the process. It is clear that he is a player who has played a big role in establishing NC now. I think you can think about a retirement ceremony,” he said.
Thames wrote in Korean announcing his intention to retire. He was full of his love for Korea. Could Thames hold a retirement ceremony in Korea?