Eric Thames returns to South Korea, calls it 'my second home'

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, June 1 (Yonhap) -- One can take Eric Thames out of South Korea. But they can't take South Korea out of the former slugger.

Thames, once an MVP-winning superstar for the NC Dinos in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), is back in a country that he calls "my second home" this week. On Monday, he helped launch "MLB Breakfast Club," a new big league initiative targeting Major League Baseball fans here watching big league action in the morning. Thames was one of three former players with MLB and KBO ties, joined by ex-South Korean pitcher Kim Byung-hyun and former American pitcher Dustin Nippert.

Then on Tuesday, Thames plans to attend a KBO game between the Hanwha Eagles and the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul.

"I'm happy to be back in Korea. I try to make a trip once or twice a year. This is like my second home," said Thames, who played for the Dinos from 2014 to 2016 after appearing in 267 games in MLB. "It means a lot. I can't express that enough about how you guys welcome me back here. It means a lot to me from the bottom of my heart."

Asked what keeps him coming back to South Korea a decade after he last played here, Thames broke into a grin and said, "Food." In particular, he said he loves eating meat, referring to it by its Korean name, "Gogi."

"I just love it. The weather. I love going to Busan, love going to the beach," he said. "My friends and I always pop over for four or five days and get some food and then go walk around. I've seen concerts and festivals here. I want to try to come to a concert."

After three dominant years in the KBO, with 124 home runs and a .349/.451/.721 line in 390 games, Thames successfully made it back to MLB. He launched his MLB career-high 31 home runs with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017 and played three more seasons in the big leagues before playing in Japan in 2021 and the U.S. minor leagues in 2022.

Thames was among the first players to carve out a successful career back in MLB after a stint in the KBO. In earlier years, ex-MLB players came to South Korea toward the end of their career to play out the string. Foreign-born players crossing the Pacific have been getting younger lately, and more players have been able to land big league jobs after reinventing themselves here.

"Like 15, 20 years ago, playing in the KBO after MLB was seen as like your career was over," he said. "But nowadays, it can jumpstart your career. So I've talked on the phone with many players. I've met up with them to talk about my experience here because they're excited to come. Everybody wants to come play in the KBO."

Along the way, Thames has been keeping tabs on the KBO by watching highlights on social media. He said he even got up at 4 a.m. to watch and root for South Korea at the World Baseball Classic in March.

"Actually, fans send me a lot of videos from KBO games," Thames said with a smile. "It's nice being in the hotel here. I'm watching a lot of baseball. I miss it."

Since he is on a short trip, Thames won't have time to travel out of Seoul to watch his former team, the Dinos, play. The Dinos will play three games in Daegu to begin this week and then play three more games at their home in the southeastern city of Changwon, both cities long train rides from Seoul.

"Maybe if they make the playoffs, I'll come back," said Thames, who did go to a Dinos game last August.