Eric Peddie (30-NC Dinos) generously shared his secrets with opposing pitchers, including Ahn Woo-jin (24-Kiwoom Heroes), who came to him to learn the “sweeper”.
Sweepers have become a craze among KBO pitchers, but no one has ever surpassed the master.
Pedi dominated the Korean Professional Baseball League in 2023 with the sweeper, which has a slower velocity than the slider but a great side-to-side changeup.
At the 2023 KBO awards ceremony on Sunday at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, Peddie hoisted the shiny regular-season Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy. Pedi received 91.9% of the vote (102 out of 111).
After departing for the U.S. on Aug. 8, Pedi arrived in Korea on the afternoon of Aug. 26 and graced the KBO Awards as the “host” of the ceremony.
Peddie completed the “Triple Crown” of wins, ERA, and strikeouts in the regular season this year with a 20-6 record, 2.00 ERA, and 209 strikeouts.
It was a feat that will go down in KBO history.
He is the fourth pitcher in history to win the Triple Crown, joining Sun Dong-yeol of the Haetae Tigers (1986, 1989, 1990, 1991), Ryu Hyun-jin of the Hanwha Eagles (2006), and Yoon Seok-min of the KIA Tigers (2011).
Pedi also reached the 20-win, 200-strikeout milestone, which has only been achieved by legendary pitchers such as Jang Myung-bu of the Sammi Superstars in 1983 (30 wins and 220 strikeouts), the late Choi Dong-won of the Lotte Giants in 1984 (27 wins and 223 strikeouts), Kim Si-jin of the Samsung Lions in 1985 (25 wins and 201 strikeouts), and Sun Dong-yeol of Hae-tae in 1986 (24 wins and 214 strikeouts).
In his final appearance of the year, the first round of the playoffs (PO) against SSG Landers, he struck out 12 batters in six innings (three hits and one run) to set the record for the most strikeouts in a PO game, one more than Sun Dong-yeol (Haetae) in Game 2 in 1989 and Chris Flexen (Doosan Bears) in Game 1 in 2020.
His totals with the NC bats were also good.
Pedi averaged 4.33 runs per game, 1.1 runs above the league average of 3.23, and tied the KBO record for fewest games with 10 wins (12) and fewest games with 15 wins (19).
Peddie played alongside Eric Thames in Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals in 2020.
“He introduced me to the KBO and told me it was a very high level league,” says Peddie. “He introduced me to the KBO and said it was a very high level league. I was able to hear a lot of things about the KBO from him,” says Peddie, who credits Thames with being a positive influence on his trip to Korea.
Themes was NC’s first regular season MVP (2015).
Peddie became the first NC pitcher to win the regular-season MVP, and the second NC player to do so in history, joining Temes.
“My NC teammates are like brothers to me,” said Pedi on stage at the award ceremony. “When I first joined the NC in spring training in February this year, I was scared, but thanks to my teammates, I overcame it,” he said.
When NC failed to advance to the Korean Series and was eliminated in the fall stage, Pedi broke down in tears.
“I’m about to cry again,” he said at the awards ceremony, adding, “I couldn’t help NC in the postseason (due to forearm pain). That’s where the tears came from.”
Pedi attended the ceremony with his father.
After tearing up at the memory of his NC teammates, he looked at his father, who had traveled with him to the ceremony, and said, “This trophy is for you. Thank you so much,” he said, before bursting into tears again. 안전놀이터