Sweeper Learns Sweeper…Pedi “I don’t think I need to learn…”
By Dae-ho Lee = The hottest pitcher in the KBO in the first half of the season was NC Dinos foreign-born pitcher Eric Pedi, 30.
In 15 starts in the first half of the season, Pedi went 12-2 with a 1.71 ERA in 89⅔ innings pitched and 109 strikeouts, ranking first in wins and ERA.
He neutralized KBO hitters with a hard-hitting fastball that topped out at well over 150 miles per hour, backed up by an elaborate changeup and a sweeper, a slider with a lot of horizontal movement.
Several pitchers who have faced the NC have asked Pedi to teach them how to use the sweeper, including Noh Si-hwan (22-Hanwha Eagles), who joined them in the All-Star Game home run race at Sajik Stadium in Busan on Thursday.
Noh learned how to grip and throw the baseball from Pedi before the home run race.
Pedi was also serious about correcting Noh’s hand movements.
“He’s a great hitter, so he doesn’t need to learn how to throw a sweeper,” Pedi said with a smile after Noh left.
When I told him, “In high school, I used to throw it up to 150 kilometers per hour,” he was surprised and admitted, “Then it’s worth learning.
Before the All-Star Game, Pedi invited his entire family to Korea to enjoy the festivities with him.
His grandmother, father, mother, brother, girlfriend, and friends brought a “battalion” to experience All-Star Eve at Sajik Stadium in Busan.안전놀이터
“It’s really, really fun,” says Pedi. It’s great to be able to enjoy and experience a different format of the All-Star Game than the major leagues,” he said.
Peddie’s father, Scott Peddie, is an active firefighter in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
He recently made a surprise visit to the Changwon Masan Fire Station to encourage the firefighters and give them a small gift.
“He’s just like my dad. He still has a lot of passion,” he said proudly.
When asked if he dreamed of becoming a firefighter when he was younger, he said, “Firefighting is a really cool job. I still think I want to be a firefighter when I grow up,” he smiled broadly.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Pedi, who is scheduled to pitch in the All-Star Game on Friday in a Sharing All-Star uniform, before turning his attention back to the home run race.