I've been with my brother-like colleagues all season. I felt like I didn't live up to the team's expectations.”
The voice of Eric Peddy, the “blue-eyed ace” in a suit, trembled. He showed tears right after losing Game 5 of the playoffs, but he shed tears again in front of the camera for the first time in a month. My heart was conveyed to Korean professional baseball and NC Dinos fans.
Pedi won five gold medals at the 2023 KBO Awards held at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 27th. He swept the three major titles of multiple wins, ERA, and strikeouts, as well as the newly established defense award this year and the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the regular season.
Fifteen prominent candidates challenged, but all were supporting actors in front of Pedi. Of the 111 votes exercised by the press corps, 102 (91.9%) were his share. Roh Si-hwan (Hanwha Eagles), a two-time home run and RBI winner, was so wide that he had only six votes. Pedi pitched in 30 regular-season games, posting 20 wins (6 losses) and a 2.00 209 ERA in 180 ⅓ innings. In 37 years since Sun Dong-yeol in 1986, he has achieved 20 wins and 200 strikeouts at the same time.
The postseason was the biggest ordeal he faced in Korea. The team won consecutive games to reach the playoffs, but Pedi only played one game in the aftermath of the injury. Some criticized that it was “Tae-up,” but he replaced the answer with tears right after he was confirmed to be eliminated.
Pedi, who said he was “incredibly happy” right after winning the MVP, recalled that the year he spent in Korea was a “huge experience.” Not only the coaches and colleagues, but also the interpreters and individual trainers were credited one by one. He didn't forget to mention his fans. “Masan and Changwon are like a second home to me,” he said, expressing his gratitude in poor Korean.
Pedi, who returned to the U.S. after the fall baseball earlier, flew back to Korea to win the award. Scott, the father who entered the country together, embraced his son on the podium and delivered a bouquet of flowers. “(Peddy) was a proud son who always worked hard,” he told reporters after the ceremony. “I'm a lucky father.”
Moon Dong-ju, the next-generation national team ace, won the Rookie of the Year honor, which is only once in a lifetime. He won 85 votes (76.6 percent) out of 111 votes, beating Yoon Young-chul (KIA Tigers), who was considered the biggest competitor, by 70 votes. After 17 years since Ryu Hyun-jin in 2006, he continued his genealogy with Hanwha, saying, “The trophy is quite heavy,” and “I will endure this weight well in the future.”
The newly established defense award went to a total of 10 players, including Oh Ji-hwan and Park Chan-ho, who won joint prizes in the shortstop category. The unified champion LG Twins produced the most three winners.
Veterans who won the title after a long professional career also drew attention. Jung Soo-bin (Doosan Bears), the stolen base king who succeeded in winning his first individual award in 14 years since his debut, burned his will, saying, “I want to win the most hits award next time.” Son Ah-seop, the batting champion who repeatedly missed the top spot in batting average even after winning the most hits awards three times earlier, stressed, “I really want to hold the trophy next year.” 먹튀검증
