He was an ace not only in terms of baseball skills but also in terms of his big heart. Eric Peddy (30, NC Dinos), a leading candidate for this season’s KBO MVP, shared his experience with the opposing team’s young pitcher.메이저놀이터

Pedi had a meal in Changwon in mid-August. It was the 14th of last month, before the three-game home game against the Hanwha Eagles (August 15-17). It’s not strange for a player to eat outside on a day off, but the people at the meeting and what happened there were surprising.

It is said that on this day, Peddie had a meal with Moon Dong-ju (20), a second-year pitcher at Hanwha. Peddie and Moon Dong-ju did not meet each other, but the meeting took place after Moon Dong-ju expressed his desire to meet Peddie. An NC official said, “Moon Dong-ju asked Hanwha’s foreign scout (Kim Jin-young) (at the time), and the meeting took place because he was close with Peddie’s agent.”

Eric Peddie (left) explains to Dong-ju Moon at a meal last August. /Photo = Captured from Jinyoung Kim’s Instagram

Eric Peddie (left) holds up the ball and explains it to Dong-ju Moon at a meal last August. /Photo = Captured from Jinyoung Kim’s Instagram
It wasn’t just a place to eat. On this day, Moon Dong-ju asked several questions about pitching. Peddie also demonstrated himself holding the ball and showed Dong-ju Moon how to use the slider and change-up. The gap of 10 years of age difference, belonging to different teams, and different nationalities was not visible to the two people.

The meeting on this day became known belatedly when Kim Jin-young (31), a former Hanwha player and scout, recently posted it on his social media. Moon Dong-ju himself also responded by leaving a comment with a flame-shaped emoticon. The Internet community was full of praise for Moon Dong-joo’s passion for taking the initiative to directly pass on the know-how, and for Peddie, who generously passed it on to his opponents.

Eric Peddie is being interviewed by reporters at Changwon NC Park on the 8th. /Photo=Reporter Yang Jeong-woong
Peddie, who met before the home game against the Lotte Giants held at Changwon NC Park on the 8th, explained about the event that day, “This event was made possible because Moon Dong-ju is a friend with a strong will to learn baseball.” He continued by saying, “He talked a lot about baseball, but I was really surprised that (Moon Dong-ju) spoke English so well.” He said, “The agent spoke English well, so we talked without an interpreter, but Moon Dong-ju also spoke English well, so there were no problems.”

Regarding what he told Moon Dong-ju that day, Peddie explained, “He played baseball in the United States for 10 years, and tried to share as much of the knowledge he gained there as possible.” He went on to say, “He asked me questions about the major leagues, but he asked me a lot about pitching in general.”

In fact, Moon Dong-joo will not pitch in the NC game this season. This is because the Hanwha club ended Moon Dong-joo’s 2023 season with the game against LG in Jamsil on the 3rd to protect the player. However, given that they may face NC again next year, they may be reluctant to ‘pass on the secret game’.But Peddie looked at the forest instead of the trees. He said, “I am sharing this with the hope that each player will become the best in his or her position while playing baseball. I believe that if Moon Dong-joo learns what I have taught him, the league will grow that much and baseball will become more interesting.” If a young pitcher named Moon Dong-ju can improve, the level of the KBO league can rise accordingly.

Moon Dong-ju, who debuted on the professional stage last year, showed further improvement this year. After pitching 23 games and 118⅔ innings, he recorded 8 wins, 8 losses, and an ERA of 3.72. Even in a situation where the starting lineup was in turmoil, such as the expulsion of foreign pitcher Butch Smith, who was selected as the first starter, Dong-ju Moon continued to pitch. In particular, in the KIA game on April 12, he engraved his name in league history by becoming the first Korean player in the KBO League to throw a ball faster than 160 km per hour. Peddie generously shared his secrets with Jawon, who would become the ace of the KBO league.

Eric Peddie (second from the left) is talking with Myung-gi Song (far right). /Photo=NC Dinos
Naturally, NC colleagues also ask Pedi for advice. Min (24), a right-handed fighter who learned the two-seam fastball from Peddy, said, “I asked Peddy how he solved the high two-seam hit rate against left-handed batters, and he told me well.” “When he is asked a question, he tries to answer as honestly as he can, with everything he has, rather than keeping a secret,” Peddie said.

Peddie also received help from veterans during his time with the Washington Nationals. He said, “I asked a lot of questions to Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasberg, Gio Gonzalez, etc.” At the same time, he said, “He is answering all questions sincerely because he wants to give back the same amount as he received from his seniors when he came here.”

This year, Peddie is establishing himself as the best player in the KBO league. Having pitched in 24 games, he has a record of 17 wins, 6 losses, and an ERA of 2.28. He is ranked first in most wins and earned run average, and is currently second in strikeouts (160), and is also on the verge of a reversal as first place Ahn Woo-jin (Kiwoom, 164) is out for the season. For a player like this to teach us about pitching, it would be like a lecture from a ‘one hit instructor’.