Erick Fedde has had quite a roller coaster ride of a baseball career. The righty pitched his first big league seasons with the team that drafted him, the Washington Nationals. After two down years in 2021 and 2022, Fedde went off to Korea to play overseas before making a big league return in 2024 with the Chicago White Sox.
Last season, Fedde was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals and on Friday night, he had the opportunity to pitch against his former team.
Fedde was dominant against the Nationals, twirling his first career complete game and first career shutout in a masterful performance. Across nine innings of work, he allowed just six hits, no walks, and struck out eight hitters.
After the game, Fedde had some high praise for the team that drafted him, but he also noted how special it was to perform well against them.
“I have no ill-will towards the Nationals,” Fedde said. “They gave me every opportunity. They drafted me, allowed me to become a big leaguer. I owe them a lot in the sense of my career. But there’s always something about when somebody lets you go, showing them that you can be better.”
This is the kind of mindset every underdog should have. Fedde's seemingly not driven by hatred and revenge for his former team. They gave him his shot in the big leagues.
But being discarded in 2022 has seemingly stuck with the veteran righty, for good reason, and he's finally gotten his chance for sweet revenge.
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