NC Dinos starter Erick Fedde was named the winner of the top South Korean pitching award Monday, on the strength of his history-making campaign in the top domestic league.
Fedde was announced as the recipient of the 2023 Choi Dong-won Award, which has been recognizing the top pitcher in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) every year since 2014. The award bears the name of the late Lotte Giants ace known for his durability and strikeout prowess.
NC Dinos starter Erick Fedde pitches against the Hanwha Eagles during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Oct. 10, 2023. (Yonhap)
NC Dinos starter Erick Fedde pitches against the Hanwha Eagles during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Oct. 10, 2023. (Yonhap)
Fedde leads the KBO with 20 wins, 2.06 ERA and 204 strikeouts, on the verge of becoming just the fourth pitcher, and the first foreign pitcher, to win the Triple Crown. Fedde, who will make his final regular season start later Monday, is also the first foreign starter to record at least 20 wins and 200 strikeouts in a KBO season.
Choi Dong-won is one of four South Korean-born pitchers to have met those milestones.
"We considered individual statistics and pitchers' contributions to their teams," said Kang Jin-su, secretary general of the Choi Dong-won Memorial Foundation. "We also looked into players' behavior off the field and spirit of fair play. Fedde dominated other candidates in every category."
Fedde is the first Dinos pitcher and the fourth foreign pitcher to be honored with a Choi Dong-won Award.
The award ceremony will be Tuesday in Choi's hometown of Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Along with a trophy, Fedde will receive 20 million won (US$14,770).
Source: Yonhap News Agency