Player focus: Eric Thames (NC Dinos)

Eric Thames on Friday became the first NC Dinos player to have 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases.

In a game against the Hanwha Eagles, the 28-year-old American stole second base in the eighth inning to collect his 20th stolen base. He already had over 20 home runs, launching his 24th in the first inning that game.

Thames, currently the league’s RBI leader, is the first Dinos player to mark a “20-20.” The Changwon-based club entered the KBO League in 2003.

The former Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners player set the “20-20” in just 73 games, the third-fastest in KBO history behind the LG Twins’ Lee Byung-kyu, who did it in 68 games in 1999, and former Hyundai Unicorns player Park Jae-hong, at 71 games in 1997.

Among non-Korean batters, Thames is the fastest and seventh foreigner to achieve the record. When asked about the record, the sophomore in the KBO League said he didn’t really care because his team lost 6-7.

BY JOO KYUNG-DON [joo.kyungdon@joongang.co.kr]