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Ex-Texas Ranger Dustin Nippert to pitch in Korea for 5th straight season

December 29, 2014
Dustin Nippert (NEWSis)

Dustin Nippert (NEWSis)

SEOUL (Yonhap) — South Korean baseball club Doosan Bears announced Monday they have re-signed their right-hander Dustin Nippert, bringing back the steady starter for his fifth season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

The Bears said Nippert has agreed to a US$1.5 million deal to return to the Seoul-based club. Foreign players are only allowed to sign one-year contracts with the KBO clubs.

Nippert, 33, has gone 52-27 with a 3.25 ERA in 107 appearances for the Bears and holds the record for most victories by a foreign pitcher with a single KBO franchise. He has reached double figures in wins in each of his first four seasons here.

In 2014, a season marked by massive offensive production, Nippert was one of the only six starters to post an ERA under 4.00. He finished 14-7 with a 3.81 ERA.

Nippert, who pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers before coming to South Korea, has tossed 678 1/3 innings since 2011, more than any KBO pitcher in that span.

The Bears have also retained their other foreign pitcher, Yunesky Maya, from this past season, and signed free agent southpaw Jang Won-jun to a four-year, 8.4 billion won ($7.7 million) contract, a record amount for a pitcher.