Kimchi fuels success for Dinos ace Thompson in 1st KBO season

Having spent his entire collegiate and minor league career in the United States until 2024, Riley Thompson, the first-year pitcher for the NC Dinos in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), feels "blessed" to be able to live in a foreign country and experience a new culture for the first time. It also helps that Thompson is already in love with Korean food, particularly kimchi, the country's signature side dish typically made from fermented cabbage. "I love kimchi. I have to have kimchi every day," Thompson told Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday before the Dinos played the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. "I love it. So that's No. 1. I'm sure every foreigner says Korean barbecue, but Korean barbecue is amazing for a reason. I love kimchi." Thompson, 28, said he was grateful for a chance to pitch in the KBO after spending the first seven years of his professional career without reaching Major League Baseball (MLB). The right-hander pitched for the Iowa Cubs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, in 2023 and 2024. "It was always on my mind that I wanted to come play basebaWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times