Well, the above scenario could happen if Taiwan manages to snag the #2 seed out of the Asian regional qualifying bracket. The matchup would be very memorable for the fans of Taiwan, although the Royals are one of the worst teams in the MLB.
Link
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
More news on the draft....
From the Taiwan News Website: Link
Supposedly, Elephants #3 pick, D.J. Yeh is getting attention from the Red Sox organization.
Supposedly, Elephants #3 pick, D.J. Yeh is getting attention from the Red Sox organization.
Monday, December 26, 2005
CPBL Draft Results...
As expected, the LA New Bears selected Chin-Feng Chen first overall in the CPBL draft.
The Whales selected RHP Che-Yi Su (on far right in the linked pic) with the 2nd overall pick in the first round.
The rest of the first round selections were as follows:
#3 pick - Elephants: LHP Ding-Jen Yeh
#4 pick - Lions: LHP Pai-Ching Chiang
#5 pick - Cobras: RHP Chia-Hung Chen
#6 pick - Bulls: OF Chien-Jung Su
For the rest of the team's picks, you can go to the CPBL's official website (in Chinese) for further detail.
The Whales selected RHP Che-Yi Su (on far right in the linked pic) with the 2nd overall pick in the first round.
The rest of the first round selections were as follows:
#3 pick - Elephants: LHP Ding-Jen Yeh
#4 pick - Lions: LHP Pai-Ching Chiang
#5 pick - Cobras: RHP Chia-Hung Chen
#6 pick - Bulls: OF Chien-Jung Su
For the rest of the team's picks, you can go to the CPBL's official website (in Chinese) for further detail.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Chen in the CPBL????
There is a good possibility that pioneer Chin-Feng Chen may play for the LA New Bears in the CPBL next year. Chen would join an up and coming team that already has slugger Chih-Sheng Lin and new pitching addition Kevin Huang. Chen has not given up on his dreams to play in the Majors, and probably would seek a clause in his contract that would allow him to pursue a ML position if the opportunity arose.
For more, read here.
For more, read here.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Lin officially an Eagle....
The Rakuten Eagles have officially signed Y.C. Lin to a contract.
The official site of the Eagles has more info on Lin's signing in Japanese.
Congrats to Lin! Make us proud!!
The official site of the Eagles has more info on Lin's signing in Japanese.
Congrats to Lin! Make us proud!!
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
"You" Da Man!!!
Who's Da Man?!
Future Puppeteer??
Yang with future teammates (4th from right)The Nippon Ham Fighters officially introduced their draft picks to the public yesterday.
Yang, the top pick for the Fighters, will wear # 24, and have his name emblazoned on the back of his jersey as "You", the Japanese pronounciation of his Chinese character.
Yang, the top pick for the Fighters, will wear # 24, and have his name emblazoned on the back of his jersey as "You", the Japanese pronounciation of his Chinese character.
The waiting game....
While Japan and Korea have submitted very strong rosters for the WBC, Taiwan is still trying to get clearance for their top 2 pitchers: Wang and Kuo. Because both pitchers have a history of serious arm injuries, the parent clubs are reluctant to release these 2 kids (Read here for more on Wang and his status with the Yanks brass) for participation in the WBC. With injuries to top pitchers Tsao, Chang, and Hsu, the cupboard is pretty bare if the Dodgers and Yankees have their way. Also, the Taiwanese national team has not yet secured the services of top hitter Chin-Feng Chen whose professional career has come to a screeching halt. In past competitions against top pitchers from Korea and Japan, Chen was one of the few bright spots for an anemic offense.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that Wang and Kuo get a chance to shine for their country. I'm sure a strict pitch count will be imposed if they get the green light, but having Wang and Kuo is vital to Taiwan having any shot at beating Japan and Korea.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that Wang and Kuo get a chance to shine for their country. I'm sure a strict pitch count will be imposed if they get the green light, but having Wang and Kuo is vital to Taiwan having any shot at beating Japan and Korea.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Hu Chin Lung...
"The Dynamic Duo" - Hu and ChenHere's what BA wrote about Hu:
Background: One scout described Vero Beach's double-play combo of Hu and Abreu as "the traveling circus show" because of their penchant for defensive highlights. Hu finished second to Abreu in the Florida State League batting race, then hit .343 for Taiwan at the World Cup tournament following the season.
Strengths: While Abreu is a plus defender, Hu is off the charts. He's slightly undersized but wiry strong with outstanding body control and pure shortstop actions. His range is extraordinary, as are his hands, and his arm and speed are both above average. Hu made an adjustment at the plate, curtailing his leg kick, which improved his balance and prevented him from flying open during his swing. He has surprising pop, uses the whole field, and has a good feel for the strike zone.
Weaknesses: Hu has a tendency to bail on good breaking balls and he needs to become more selective. His small frame doesn't lend considerable room for projection.
The Future: Hu should be a .270 hitter with 10 home runs annually in the big leagues. Ticketed for Double-A, he should reach LA by the end of 2007.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Sayonara Lin????
Y.C. LinNow, word is the Rakuten Golden Eagles are close to signing lefty specialist Ying-Chieh Lin. Rakuten was also very interested in star rookie pitcher En-Yu Lin, but the Macoto Cobras were reluctant to part with both of their top pitchers. Sounds like only a matter of time before Lin becomes an Eagle!!!
Monday, December 05, 2005
WBC News.....
From the MLB site: Link
Although Taiwan did not officially release it's 60 man roster, it is probably somewhat similar to this earlier post.
Ming-Chieh Hsu and Chin-Hui Tsao will NOT be playing for Taiwan next March due to recovery from injuries.
Although Taiwan did not officially release it's 60 man roster, it is probably somewhat similar to this earlier post.
Ming-Chieh Hsu and Chin-Hui Tsao will NOT be playing for Taiwan next March due to recovery from injuries.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Odds and Ends.....
OF Lin (Hanshin Tigers)
REUNION of sorts: Hu, Wu, and ChenTaiwan's infield of the present and future is bright with Hu at SS, Chen at 2B, and Wu at 1B. All three are under 23 years of age, and Hu and Chen have shown promise both on the offensive and defensive end of the field while playing in the US minor leagues. Wu has still yet to put together a healthy and productive campaign, but he has shown a promising bat. Factor in Yang - the 18 year old SS #1 pick of the Nippon Fighters, and you might have a solid foundation for the next decade.
OF Lin of the Hanshin Tigers is currently working on building his arm strength (throwing off the mound and long toss) to allow him to be more competent defensively in RF. In limited duty with the parent ball club, Lin flashed good wood. However, in order to get more playing time, he must improve his defensive abilities.
The talent level in Taiwan is self-evident and is reflected in the growing number of players signed to play in the US and Japan: As of today - 13 in the US and 7 in Japan. Who's next? Well in an earlier post, En-Yu Lin was mentioned as a possibility. Lefty Y.J. Lin of the Macoto Cobras is also seeking a new employer next year. With respectable numbers and demonstrating that he is one of the top pitchers in the CPBL, Lin hopes to take his game to the next level by playing in Japan. I hope both Lin's get their chance soon.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
The Boys are Back in Town!!!!
Taiwan Legend Ming-Tsu Lu(L) with Chien-Ming Chiang(R)
From L to R:Kevin Huang, Chao-Kuan Wu, Chia-An Huang(Damn, Wu and Huang must be enjoying the All-American diet - fast food!)
From L to R: Ching-Lung Lo, Chi-Hung Cheng, and Kuo-Hui Lo
L to R: Ching-Lung Lo, Chin-Lung Hu, Chien-Ming Wang
Yao-Hsun YangFriday, November 25, 2005
Amateur baseball updates.....
This past week, new national winners were crowned for infantile (11-12), high school, and adult - college aged divisions.
In the senior league (college) championships, the National College of Physical Education defeated Jiayi University by a score of 9 to 0.
From this division, names to remember for the future include: NCPE winning pitcher Chia-Chun Tang and Jiayi pitcher Che-Yi Su
In the junior (high school) tourney, PingZhen High School won the championship by defeating Hualien H.S. 5 to 4. Yilan beat Taitung 7 to 4 for third place.
Among the HS kids, names to remember include:
1)Hung-Cheng Lai (P) - throws lefty, HS senior, 5'9"tall, has been clocked at 90 mph, member of junior national team, a good athlete: reputed to have been timed at 11 seconds in the 100m dash, has been scouted by the Boston Red Sox
2)Wei-Da Su (P)
3)Jiang-Cho Chen (P) - 6'0 tall, junior in HS, clocked as fast as 90 mph
4)Chen-Hua Lin (P) - 6'0 tall, throws ~ 85 mph
In the infantile division (11-12 year olds), a team from Yilan defeated a team from Taitung 7-6 to win the championship.
Names to keep an eye out for include: Wen-Chia Song
In the senior league (college) championships, the National College of Physical Education defeated Jiayi University by a score of 9 to 0.
From this division, names to remember for the future include: NCPE winning pitcher Chia-Chun Tang and Jiayi pitcher Che-Yi Su
In the junior (high school) tourney, PingZhen High School won the championship by defeating Hualien H.S. 5 to 4. Yilan beat Taitung 7 to 4 for third place.
Among the HS kids, names to remember include:
1)Hung-Cheng Lai (P) - throws lefty, HS senior, 5'9"tall, has been clocked at 90 mph, member of junior national team, a good athlete: reputed to have been timed at 11 seconds in the 100m dash, has been scouted by the Boston Red Sox
2)Wei-Da Su (P)
3)Jiang-Cho Chen (P) - 6'0 tall, junior in HS, clocked as fast as 90 mph
4)Chen-Hua Lin (P) - 6'0 tall, throws ~ 85 mph
In the infantile division (11-12 year olds), a team from Yilan defeated a team from Taitung 7-6 to win the championship.
Names to keep an eye out for include: Wen-Chia Song
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Since I'm a huge college football nut (I root for Penn State, but I went to USC and The U - University of Miami), I'm always over on Scout.com checking out the latest news on these programs. The guys over at Scout.com are currently posting all of their premium content for free from now until Sunday the 27th. There are some good reads on Chen: #1 #2, Cheng: #1 #2, Wang: #1 #2, and Hu #1 #2. You can also probably find some stuff on Chen, Tsao, and Kuo out there too. Remember, that most of these links are only good until this Sunday. So don't forget to save or print if you want to archive the content.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Where have you gone Kevin Huang?
Former Red Sox Chun-Chung (Kevin) Huang is finally going to get a chance to revive his baseball career. Huang will be playing with the LA New Bears in the CPBL next season.
After some limited success in the low minors with the Boston Red Sox organization (he made it to A ball), Huang was persuaded by his agent to showcase his wares for some NPB scouts. During this workout, Huang tore his labrum, and has been recovering ever since. The pitching exhibition was in violation of Huang's contract with the Red Sox, who then released Kevin.
That's one helluva lesson for any young man to take - lose your job and potentially have a career-ending injury all happen at the same time.
Despite all this, I'm still rooting for the kid to make a full recovery and succeed in the CPBL.
After some limited success in the low minors with the Boston Red Sox organization (he made it to A ball), Huang was persuaded by his agent to showcase his wares for some NPB scouts. During this workout, Huang tore his labrum, and has been recovering ever since. The pitching exhibition was in violation of Huang's contract with the Red Sox, who then released Kevin.
That's one helluva lesson for any young man to take - lose your job and potentially have a career-ending injury all happen at the same time.
Despite all this, I'm still rooting for the kid to make a full recovery and succeed in the CPBL.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Misc. News....
En-Yu Lin with his 5 post season CPBL awardsPic taken from the CPBL official website
Rookie En-Yu Lin of the Cobras won the league MVP/ROY awards. The kid had solid numbers - a league-leading 1.72 ERA, a 12-8 W/L record, and 152K's. Lin also won a golden-glove award for his stellar defense. The 6'2"- 24 year old is hoping to get a shot in Japan, and may follow the footsteps of former CPBL ROY's - Ming-Chieh Hsu of the Seibu Lions and Chung-Yang Tsao formerly of the Chunichi Dragons.
TaiwanNewsOnline Link
The Seibu Lions are thinking of moving Chih-Chia Chang to the bullpen as a reliever next year. The move could prolong the career of Chang, who had his past season derailed by injuries.
Chin-Feng Chen got a look by the Rakuten Eagles organization in the NPB. Word is that Chen didn't fare very well in his workouts - i.e. struggling with hitting off-speed breaking pitches. With his options shrinking, Chen might give it one more shot at the MLB and hope for the best in spring training.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Lions edge Bulls
Sinon lost a close game to the KBO champs 4-3. In a tight game, the Bulls continued to shoot themselves in the foot with defensive miscues. However, despite the loss, the CPBL champs showed that they are on equal footing with the KBO champs.
Boxscore
In the championship game, the Lions lost to the Marines in a much closer rematch 5-3. Despite being outhit, the Marines continued to receive timely hitting from import and ex-MLB player Benny Agbayani. Benny drove in 9 runs in the 4 games that he played in.
Bottom line: KBO and CPBL have comparable talent. The NPB still has better talent overall - especially in their homegrown pitching products. The KBO and CPBL have to rely on export pitchers to round out their starting rotations. Not surprisingly, the best young talent in Taiwan and South Korea usually end up overseas in Japan and the US. There aren't that many players in the CPBL who would be able to make the jump to the NPB or US minor leagues. En-Yu Lin of the Macoto Cobras, based on a number of factors - including size, age, and pitching skill, is one of the few that might have the talent to leave the CPBL.
Boxscore
In the championship game, the Lions lost to the Marines in a much closer rematch 5-3. Despite being outhit, the Marines continued to receive timely hitting from import and ex-MLB player Benny Agbayani. Benny drove in 9 runs in the 4 games that he played in.
Bottom line: KBO and CPBL have comparable talent. The NPB still has better talent overall - especially in their homegrown pitching products. The KBO and CPBL have to rely on export pitchers to round out their starting rotations. Not surprisingly, the best young talent in Taiwan and South Korea usually end up overseas in Japan and the US. There aren't that many players in the CPBL who would be able to make the jump to the NPB or US minor leagues. En-Yu Lin of the Macoto Cobras, based on a number of factors - including size, age, and pitching skill, is one of the few that might have the talent to leave the CPBL.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Bulls Dehorned.....
Da Bulls were pummeled by the Marines 12-1. The game only went 7 innings because of the mercy rule.
Bright spots, if any for the Bulls were
1)SP Chien-Fu Yang's 7K's in 5 IP and only allowing 2 ER's
2) & CF Chien-Ming Chang, who continued his hot hitting as he drove in the Bull's only run
The game against the KBO champs will dictate who plays Lotte in the championship game.
To read more:
ShanghaiDaily
TaiwanNewsOnline
JapanTimesOnline
DailyYomiuri
Bright spots, if any for the Bulls were
1)SP Chien-Fu Yang's 7K's in 5 IP and only allowing 2 ER's
2) & CF Chien-Ming Chang, who continued his hot hitting as he drove in the Bull's only run
The game against the KBO champs will dictate who plays Lotte in the championship game.
To read more:
ShanghaiDaily
TaiwanNewsOnline
JapanTimesOnline
DailyYomiuri
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Bulls win vs. China
The Sinon Bulls beat an all star team made up of professional players in China's CBA league 6-0.
In the other game, NPB champs Lotte handed the Samsung Lions a 6-2 loss.
Full box scores and results can be found for all of the games here.
The Sinon Bulls will match up against tourney favorite - the Lotte Marines tomorrow 11/11/05.
Let's see how the local kid - Yang fares against top notch NPB hitting.
Other reads on yesterday's action:
#1
#2
#3
TaiwanNewsOnline
A big thank you goes out to Maos and Bigdaub for keeping us updated on the action in Asia.
Edited 11/10/05 8:20 PM
In the other game, NPB champs Lotte handed the Samsung Lions a 6-2 loss.
Full box scores and results can be found for all of the games here.
The Sinon Bulls will match up against tourney favorite - the Lotte Marines tomorrow 11/11/05.
Let's see how the local kid - Yang fares against top notch NPB hitting.
Other reads on yesterday's action:
#1
#2
#3
TaiwanNewsOnline
A big thank you goes out to Maos and Bigdaub for keeping us updated on the action in Asia.
Edited 11/10/05 8:20 PM
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Sinon Bulls and the Konami Cup....
There's some news on the strategy the Bulls will go with regarding pitching matchups in a recent Taiwan News Online article. Interesting matchups - the game vs China should be a stroll in the park. Assuming a loss to the NPB champs, the game against the Samsung Lions would be a must win, if the Bulls want to make it to the championship game. I'm not really sure if Martinez or Yang would be a better matchup against the Lions - tough call by manager Liu. Too bad Chung-Nan Tsai isn't the same pitcher he was a few years ago - they could've used him.
The Korea Times also has some good info in English on the Konami Cup. Read it here.
I'm not too sure about how frequently this site will be updated, but the NPB's official English website for the Konami Cup is here.
The Korea Times also has some good info in English on the Konami Cup. Read it here.
I'm not too sure about how frequently this site will be updated, but the NPB's official English website for the Konami Cup is here.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
CPBL champs crowned.......
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Updates....
Chin-Feng Chen is getting interest from the NPB Rakuten Eagles. Bigdaub over at the TaiwaneseBallPlayers.com discussion forum has a write up on the news. There is also info at the Japanesebaseball.com forum.
In the CPBL, the Sinon Bulls have a commanding 3 - 0 series lead over the Macoto Cobras.
Link
Questionable managerial decisions by Taiwanese baseball icon and current Cobras coach Tai-Yuan Kuo have contributed to the huge deficit the Cobras face.
In the CPBL, the Sinon Bulls have a commanding 3 - 0 series lead over the Macoto Cobras.
Link
Questionable managerial decisions by Taiwanese baseball icon and current Cobras coach Tai-Yuan Kuo have contributed to the huge deficit the Cobras face.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Konami Cup - Asia Series 2005
Three of the four league champions have been decided.
NPB champs - Chiba Lotte Marines
KBO champs - Samsung Lions
CBA champs - Beijing Tigers
The CPBL will crown a champion in a clash between the Macoto Cobras and the Sinon Bulls.
Personally, I don't really follow professional baseball in Taiwan, but the Cobras would probably fare better against Asian competition because it has better starting pitching with rookie stud En-Yu Lin, star lefty Ying-Chieh Lin, and starter Chu-Jien Hsu.
The obvious favorite has to be the Lotte Marines, followed by the Lions, and then the eventual CPBL champs.
The official site of the Konami Cup can be found here.
NPB champs - Chiba Lotte Marines
KBO champs - Samsung Lions
CBA champs - Beijing Tigers
The CPBL will crown a champion in a clash between the Macoto Cobras and the Sinon Bulls.
Personally, I don't really follow professional baseball in Taiwan, but the Cobras would probably fare better against Asian competition because it has better starting pitching with rookie stud En-Yu Lin, star lefty Ying-Chieh Lin, and starter Chu-Jien Hsu.
The obvious favorite has to be the Lotte Marines, followed by the Lions, and then the eventual CPBL champs.
The official site of the Konami Cup can be found here.
Catch a rising star.....Chih-Hsien Chiang
CHIANG at the 2003 World Youth "AA" Championships
After talking to a buddy of mine a lil while back, I've decided to get the 411 out on Chiang, who probably has as much potential as recent NPB 1st round pick Chung-Shou Yang. One of Taiwan's best young high school hitters, Chih-Hsien Chiang is a 17 year old multi-positional fielder who even pitches a bit. Born February 21, 1988, Chiang has good size; he stands 6'1" tall and weighs 180 pounds. He throws righty, but hits lefty. Chiang has played at all levels of Taiwan's national teams in international youth and junior aged competitions. Chiang starred as a 2B/OF in the 2003 World Youth Championships (for 13 to 15 year olds), where he led Taiwan to a silver medal, falling only to the US in the championship game. Chiang hit 2 HR's (including a big grand slam against youth powerhouse Cuba) and led the entire tourney in RBI's.
In the abbreviated 2004 World Junior Championships (for 16 to 18 year olds) - as one of the younger kids in the tourney (16 years old) and playing 1B primarily, Chiang held his own and hit .267 in 15 AB's with 3 doubles and 2 RBI's.Chiang will get one final opportunity to showcase his talents at the 2006 World Junior Championships. Don't be surprised to see Chiang playing SS defensively, as he is currently learning to play the "glamour position" in HS.
Overall, Chiang is a talented athlete who has a lot of tools that will allow him to succeed at the "next" level, wherever that may be. Chiang compares very well to Yang, and is in fact bigger than him. Offensively, he projects to be better than Yang - with his ability to hit for average and power. He has good speed and quick feet, as well as the ability to toss 88 mph fastballs, which should help with his transition to the SS position. If he continues to develop, the sky is the limit for him, and his dreams of playing in the MLB someday could become a reality.
Yung-Chi Chen Season Review....
J and G over at SportSpot.net have summed up Chen's past season at Wisconsin. Read it here. Scroll down to the "Discount Rack" under "Top Five Hitters."
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Japan Series - Lin update....
Lin got a pinch hit at bat in Game 2 of the Japan Series against Lotte. Lin flied out in his only plate appearance in the 8th inning. Hanshin has lost both games of the series to Lotte by 10-1 and 10-0 scores.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Discussion Forum....
The guy over at Taiwaneseballplayers.com has started up a English-language discussion forum to talk about the sport we love so much.
I think it's a great idea, since there are so many Chinese-language forums on baseball in Taiwan and none that I can think of that are in English.
I think it's a great idea, since there are so many Chinese-language forums on baseball in Taiwan and none that I can think of that are in English.
My Graded Card Collection.....
Ok, here's some of my favorite cards that I own. Bowman Chrome Refractors usually sell for a premium, especially the limited edition gold versions. Chen's best rookie is his Bowman's Best issue. You have to love the autos in Chinese by Chen, Wang, and Kuo. I think Hu was practicing his English penmanship. I'm still waiting for an officially licensed auto card for Tsao.
Friday, October 21, 2005
Need Help Translating!!!
This article is from the July 15-21st 2005 issue of the CTW magazine. I saw the number 160 kmph and wasn't sure if this kid was throwing that hard, or if he had the potential to do so. Can anyone help with identifying the kid and translate page 1 of the article? Thank you!You can zoom in on the picture a few times to read the fine print.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Yang's officially a Hawk...
Monday, October 17, 2005
60 man roster announced!!!
In preparation for the World Classic, Team Taiwan's preliminary roster was announced today. The list consists of 25 pitchers, 8 catchers, 17 infielders, and 10 outfielders.
Pitchers:
1)Chien-Ming Wang 3/31/80 NY Yankees
2)Hong-Chih Kuo 7/23/81 LA Dodgers
3)Chien-Ming Chiang 5/27/85 Yomiuri Giants
4)Wei-Yin Chen 7/21/85 Chunichi Dragons
5)Yao-Hsun Yang 1/22/83 Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
6)Chin-Hui Tsao 6/2/81 Colorado Rockies
7)Ching-Lung Lo 8/20/85 Colorado Rockies
8)Po-Hsuan keng 10/15/84 Toronto Blue Jays
9)Chi-Hung Cheng 6/20/85 Toronto Blue Jays
10)Chia-An Huang 11/11/85 Seattle Mariners
11)Chih-Chia Chang 5/6/80 Seibu Lions
12)Ming-Chieh Hsu 12/1/76 Seibu Lions
13)En-Yu Lin 3/25/81 Macoto Cobras
14)Ying-Chieh Lin 5/1/81 Macoto Cobras
15)Chu-Jien Hsu 1/25/81 Macoto Cobras
16)Wen-Hsiung Hsu 12/5/78 LA New Bears
17)Wei-Lun Pan 3/5/82 President Lions
18)Bao-Hsien Wu 2/6/80 Brother Elephants
19)Chien-Fu Yang 4/22/79 Sinon Bulls
20)Wei-Ming Chu 8/2/81 Chinatrust Whales
21)Ying-Feng Tsai 5/26/83 Amateur
22)Min-Ching Kao 7/12/84 Amateur
23)Sung-Wei Tseng 12/28/84 Amateur
24)Yi-Che Huang 2/14/83 Amateur
25)Chun-Chung Huang 4/25/82 No Affiliation - former Boston Red Sox
Catchers:
26)Chih-Kang Kao 2/7/81 President Lions
27)Chun-Chang Yeh 10/25/72 Sinon Bulls
28)Feng-Min Chen 10/29/77 LA New Bears
29)Chin-Shou Shi 9/26/74 Chinatrust Whales
30)Chih-Hong Chen 12/11/78 Amateur
31)Yi-Wei Lee 8/18/83 Amateur
32)Cheng-Hua Kao 7/1/77 President Lions
33)Kuan-Yi Yang 2/17/85 Amateur
Infielders:
34)Chin-Lung Hu 2/2/84 LA Dodgers
35)Yung-Chi Chen 7/13/83 Seattle Mariners
36)Chung-Shou Yang 1/17/87 Nippon Ham Fighters
37)Chia-Hsien Hsieh 4/8/76 Macoto Cobras
38)Chao-Kuan Wu 5/25/84 Seattle Mariners
39)Chih-Sheng Lin 1/1/82 LA New Bears
40)Sen Yang 3/25/81 President Lions
41)Kuo-Ching Kao 10/6/78 President Lions
42)Chang-Ming Cheng 1/28/78 Chinatrust Whales
43)Chia-Hung Chen 10/3/80 Chinatrust Whales
44)Tai-Shan Chang 10/31/76 Sinon Bulls
45)Chia-Hao Chang 10/31/76 Sinon Bulls
46)Shih-Yang Deng 7/24/79 Macoto Cobras
47) Yi-Chuan Lin 11/11/85 Amateur
48)Sheng-Wei Wang 4/1/84 Amateur
49)Chiang-Ho Chen 1/15/82 Amateur
50)Tsung-Han Yu 8/24/85 Amateur
Outfielders:
51)Chin-Feng Chen 10/28/77 LA Dodgers
52)Wei-Tsu Lin 1/22/79 Hanshin Tigers
53)Kuo-Hui Lo 9/26/85 Seattle Mariners
54)Cheng-Min Peng 8/6/78 Brother Elephants
55)Chih-Yuan Chen 10/27/76 Brother Elephants
56)Long-Yi Huang 2/20/79 LA New Bears
57)Ying-Chieh Liao 9/17/84 Amateur
58)Ying-Chieh Chung 1/31/85 Amateur
59)Chih-Yao Chan 1/2/83 Amateur
60)Chun-Yu Kuo 4/20/84 Amateur
Blue indicates players with MLB affiliations
Red indicates players with NPB affiliations
Black indicates players with CPBL experience or amateur status
Pitchers:
1)Chien-Ming Wang 3/31/80 NY Yankees
2)Hong-Chih Kuo 7/23/81 LA Dodgers
3)Chien-Ming Chiang 5/27/85 Yomiuri Giants
4)Wei-Yin Chen 7/21/85 Chunichi Dragons
5)Yao-Hsun Yang 1/22/83 Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
6)Chin-Hui Tsao 6/2/81 Colorado Rockies
7)Ching-Lung Lo 8/20/85 Colorado Rockies
8)Po-Hsuan keng 10/15/84 Toronto Blue Jays
9)Chi-Hung Cheng 6/20/85 Toronto Blue Jays
10)Chia-An Huang 11/11/85 Seattle Mariners
11)Chih-Chia Chang 5/6/80 Seibu Lions
12)Ming-Chieh Hsu 12/1/76 Seibu Lions
13)En-Yu Lin 3/25/81 Macoto Cobras
14)Ying-Chieh Lin 5/1/81 Macoto Cobras
15)Chu-Jien Hsu 1/25/81 Macoto Cobras
16)Wen-Hsiung Hsu 12/5/78 LA New Bears
17)Wei-Lun Pan 3/5/82 President Lions
18)Bao-Hsien Wu 2/6/80 Brother Elephants
19)Chien-Fu Yang 4/22/79 Sinon Bulls
20)Wei-Ming Chu 8/2/81 Chinatrust Whales
21)Ying-Feng Tsai 5/26/83 Amateur
22)Min-Ching Kao 7/12/84 Amateur
23)Sung-Wei Tseng 12/28/84 Amateur
24)Yi-Che Huang 2/14/83 Amateur
25)Chun-Chung Huang 4/25/82 No Affiliation - former Boston Red Sox
Catchers:
26)Chih-Kang Kao 2/7/81 President Lions
27)Chun-Chang Yeh 10/25/72 Sinon Bulls
28)Feng-Min Chen 10/29/77 LA New Bears
29)Chin-Shou Shi 9/26/74 Chinatrust Whales
30)Chih-Hong Chen 12/11/78 Amateur
31)Yi-Wei Lee 8/18/83 Amateur
32)Cheng-Hua Kao 7/1/77 President Lions
33)Kuan-Yi Yang 2/17/85 Amateur
Infielders:
34)Chin-Lung Hu 2/2/84 LA Dodgers
35)Yung-Chi Chen 7/13/83 Seattle Mariners
36)Chung-Shou Yang 1/17/87 Nippon Ham Fighters
37)Chia-Hsien Hsieh 4/8/76 Macoto Cobras
38)Chao-Kuan Wu 5/25/84 Seattle Mariners
39)Chih-Sheng Lin 1/1/82 LA New Bears
40)Sen Yang 3/25/81 President Lions
41)Kuo-Ching Kao 10/6/78 President Lions
42)Chang-Ming Cheng 1/28/78 Chinatrust Whales
43)Chia-Hung Chen 10/3/80 Chinatrust Whales
44)Tai-Shan Chang 10/31/76 Sinon Bulls
45)Chia-Hao Chang 10/31/76 Sinon Bulls
46)Shih-Yang Deng 7/24/79 Macoto Cobras
47) Yi-Chuan Lin 11/11/85 Amateur
48)Sheng-Wei Wang 4/1/84 Amateur
49)Chiang-Ho Chen 1/15/82 Amateur
50)Tsung-Han Yu 8/24/85 Amateur
Outfielders:
51)Chin-Feng Chen 10/28/77 LA Dodgers
52)Wei-Tsu Lin 1/22/79 Hanshin Tigers
53)Kuo-Hui Lo 9/26/85 Seattle Mariners
54)Cheng-Min Peng 8/6/78 Brother Elephants
55)Chih-Yuan Chen 10/27/76 Brother Elephants
56)Long-Yi Huang 2/20/79 LA New Bears
57)Ying-Chieh Liao 9/17/84 Amateur
58)Ying-Chieh Chung 1/31/85 Amateur
59)Chih-Yao Chan 1/2/83 Amateur
60)Chun-Yu Kuo 4/20/84 Amateur
Blue indicates players with MLB affiliations
Red indicates players with NPB affiliations
Black indicates players with CPBL experience or amateur status
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Mystery kid......solved.....
I've been informed by my anonymous source that the mystery kid the Indians have been looking at is Cheng-Chan Lee. Born 10/21/86, the kid stands 5'11" and weighs 176 pounds. Lee is right-handed and has a side-arm throwing motion. His fastball maxes out around 91 mph. Lee was on the junior national team that competed in the 2004 "AAA" world championships. In an exhibition game against the US junior NT in August 2004, Lee pitched 3 innings and K'd 6 while giving up no hit and runs. During the AAA championships, Lee faced top notch competition: 1)against Japan: Lee started the game against Japanese phenom Yu Darvish, pitched 3.2 IP gave up 1 ER and K'd 2 and had a no decision
2)against the US: Lee came in relief and pitched 2.2 innings, struck out 4 with 0 earned runs
My source stated that the Indians offered Lee a signing bonus of $20,000. If the Indians want to get their foot in the doorway in Taiwan, they will need to throw some more money at the kid. That kind of offer will NOT get it done with Lee.
In a personal sidenote....My wife and I found out that we will be having a baby boy in February!!!! Can't wait to get the lil slugger a bat in his hands!!!!!
2)against the US: Lee came in relief and pitched 2.2 innings, struck out 4 with 0 earned runs
My source stated that the Indians offered Lee a signing bonus of $20,000. If the Indians want to get their foot in the doorway in Taiwan, they will need to throw some more money at the kid. That kind of offer will NOT get it done with Lee.
In a personal sidenote....My wife and I found out that we will be having a baby boy in February!!!! Can't wait to get the lil slugger a bat in his hands!!!!!
Thursday, October 13, 2005
The (Yin) Yang Brothers!!!!
Here's a pic of the Yang brothers united again in Taiwan. Older brother and future Hawk, Yao-Hsun Yang is on the left. Lil brother and NPB first round pick, Chung-Shou Yang, is on the right.
Photo taken by Chun Liang Lin.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Mystery kid?????
Someone on Japanesebaseball.com alerted me to this link regarding an 18 year old Taiwanese pitcher who has been offered by the Cleveland Indians.
My short list of prospective 18 year olds include:
1)Chiu Tzu Kai
2)Wu Hsin Tsung
3)Luo Cheng Lung
Most of the better pitching prospects haven't turned 18 yet.
Anyone else care to venture a guess?
My short list of prospective 18 year olds include:
1)Chiu Tzu Kai
2)Wu Hsin Tsung
3)Luo Cheng Lung
Most of the better pitching prospects haven't turned 18 yet.
Anyone else care to venture a guess?
Lin selected head coach....
The head coach for the national team that will participate in the World Classic has been chosen. Hua-Wei Lin, a veteran coach and former player, helped lead Taiwan to the bronze medal at the 2001 Baseball World Cup. A good choice, in my opinion............
Monday, October 10, 2005
More on Lin....
I did a little research and found out that Lin is represented by super agent Scott Boras. Lin, along with fellow country-man Che-Yi Su were in the US earlier last year - March of 2004, where they showcased their goods in front of a ton of scouts in Chandler, Arizona. Obviously, scouts liked what they saw as Lin is now on his way to the US.
The guy over at baseballtaiwan.net has a pic up of Lin, Su, and Tsao. Here is the link. Lin is the guy on the far left, with Tsao in the middle, and Su on the right. From the pic, assuming that Tsao is 6'2" and Su is 6'0 even, I believe Lin stands somewhere around 5'10" to 5"11.
From what I've googled, Lin hasn't been on the international scene much as compared to some of the other recently signed kids. He was on the Under-17 Chinese-Taipei National team in 2001 that included teammates: Chia-An Huang(Mariners), Wei-Yin Chen(Chunichi), and Chien-Ming Chiang(Yomiuri). Lin was also included on the Taiwanese team that participated in the 2004 edition of the Grand Forks International Tournament.
The guy over at baseballtaiwan.net has a pic up of Lin, Su, and Tsao. Here is the link. Lin is the guy on the far left, with Tsao in the middle, and Su on the right. From the pic, assuming that Tsao is 6'2" and Su is 6'0 even, I believe Lin stands somewhere around 5'10" to 5"11.
From what I've googled, Lin hasn't been on the international scene much as compared to some of the other recently signed kids. He was on the Under-17 Chinese-Taipei National team in 2001 that included teammates: Chia-An Huang(Mariners), Wei-Yin Chen(Chunichi), and Chien-Ming Chiang(Yomiuri). Lin was also included on the Taiwanese team that participated in the 2004 edition of the Grand Forks International Tournament.
Friday, October 07, 2005
Phillies sign Lin!!!!
The Philadelphia Phillies signed 20 year old Taiwanese pitcher Yen-Feng Lin. Lin is reported to have a fastball that runs around 90 - 94 mph.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Huang Chia An scouting report and video....
The guy over at the Mariner Minors blog has put together a nice profile/scouting report on Huang's initial season in Peoria. He also has a link up of video footage of Huang pitching/hitting in HS. A must read indeed!!!
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Tough loss for Wang....
Wang pitched well enough tonight to give the Yanks a chance at winning the game vs. the Angels in Game 2 of the divisional series. However, the Yanks offense left a ton of men on base, and 2 costly errors - 1 by Wang and 1 by A-Rod, contributed to Wang leaving in the 7th inning losing 4-2 to the Angels. Wang's line for the night was: 6 2/3 innings pitched - 6 hits - 4 runs - 1 earned - 0 walks - 1 strike out.
Wang got off to a good start in the first inning as he had his sinker working - getting 3 ground outs in the first. You could tell that Wang was pumped up, as he was clocking up to 96 mph on the gun. Except for a lead-off solo blast by Juan Rivera in the 5th inning, Wang was cruising through the first 5 innings. A-Rod's misplay on a ground ball in the 6th inning eventually led to a run scored when Benji Molina singled in the unearned run. Tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the 7th inning, Wang was still hitting 93 to 94 mph with his fastball, but he was leaving pitches up in the zone. An errant throw to first by Wang on an infield ball hit between the pitcher's mound and home plate, allowed the Angels to get 2 men on base. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs, O. Cabrera came up with a clutch 2 out - 2 run scoring single. That was all she wrote for Wang, as Torre called in Leiter to relieve Wang.
Bottom line - Wang pitched well but in the later innings started leaving pitches up in the zone and out over the plate - the Angels hitters made him pay with clutch 2 out hitting; NY's defense was shaky; and the Yanks offense left too many men on base. You can't win with that kind of performance against a solid team like the Angels.
Wang got off to a good start in the first inning as he had his sinker working - getting 3 ground outs in the first. You could tell that Wang was pumped up, as he was clocking up to 96 mph on the gun. Except for a lead-off solo blast by Juan Rivera in the 5th inning, Wang was cruising through the first 5 innings. A-Rod's misplay on a ground ball in the 6th inning eventually led to a run scored when Benji Molina singled in the unearned run. Tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the 7th inning, Wang was still hitting 93 to 94 mph with his fastball, but he was leaving pitches up in the zone. An errant throw to first by Wang on an infield ball hit between the pitcher's mound and home plate, allowed the Angels to get 2 men on base. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs, O. Cabrera came up with a clutch 2 out - 2 run scoring single. That was all she wrote for Wang, as Torre called in Leiter to relieve Wang.
Bottom line - Wang pitched well but in the later innings started leaving pitches up in the zone and out over the plate - the Angels hitters made him pay with clutch 2 out hitting; NY's defense was shaky; and the Yanks offense left too many men on base. You can't win with that kind of performance against a solid team like the Angels.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Lin cranks first HR!!!
Hanshin lost to the Yokohama BayStars 6-4 on Tuesday. Facing CL ERA leader Daisuke Miura, Lin struck out in his first at bat, but then hit his first NPB League HR in the 4th inning - a solo shot. Lin, playing RF the entire game, grounded out and flied out in his last 2 AB's. Lin's BA on the year stands at .417
Monday, October 03, 2005
Wang to start Game 2 vs. Angels......
Wang received Joe Torre's vote of confidence by getting the green light over Shawn Chacon to start game 2 on Wednesday night in the American League '05 Division Series.
The game will be broadcast by ESPN at 10:00 PM ET. Hopefully Wang will reward the Yanks with a good outing Wed. night.
The game will be broadcast by ESPN at 10:00 PM ET. Hopefully Wang will reward the Yanks with a good outing Wed. night.
Taiwanese high schooler picked in 1st round.....
In the 2005 NPB draft, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters drafted Taiwanese high school infielder, Chung-Shou Yang with their first round pick. Yang, who is a Taiwanese citizen, played SS forFukuoka Daiichi High School. Yang, who was born 1/17/87, stands 182 cm tall, weighs 78 kg, throws and bats righty. Highly coveted because of his all-around game, Yang hit 39 home runs in his 3 year HS stay, ran the 50 meters in 6.0 seconds, and played great defense with the ability to cover a lot of field because of a strong arm and quick feet.
Yang is the younger brother of amateur pitcher Yao-Hsun Yang. The older brother faced off against Ian Kennedy this past summer. The elder Yang is expected to make the jump to the NPB next year with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. A mix-up during the 2005 draft caused elation and tears for the younger Yang, when Hawks manager Saharu Oh originally thought that he had won the rights to draft Yang. The younger Yang was obviously hoping to be drafted by the Hawks because of his Fukuoka connection, his brother's expected signing, and the fact that the revered Sadaharu Oh is the manager there. However, when the error was corrected, Yang's happiness turned to sadness when the Fighters were given the rights over the Hawks to pick Yang.
In other notes of the 2005 NPB draft, super stud high school pitcher, Tsujiuchi Takanobu was selected by the Yomiuri Giants. The rich get richer with the selection of Takanobu, who dominated Taiwan's high school kids earlier this summer.
Edited: 10/4/05 3:00 AM
Yang is the younger brother of amateur pitcher Yao-Hsun Yang. The older brother faced off against Ian Kennedy this past summer. The elder Yang is expected to make the jump to the NPB next year with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. A mix-up during the 2005 draft caused elation and tears for the younger Yang, when Hawks manager Saharu Oh originally thought that he had won the rights to draft Yang. The younger Yang was obviously hoping to be drafted by the Hawks because of his Fukuoka connection, his brother's expected signing, and the fact that the revered Sadaharu Oh is the manager there. However, when the error was corrected, Yang's happiness turned to sadness when the Fighters were given the rights over the Hawks to pick Yang.
In other notes of the 2005 NPB draft, super stud high school pitcher, Tsujiuchi Takanobu was selected by the Yomiuri Giants. The rich get richer with the selection of Takanobu, who dominated Taiwan's high school kids earlier this summer.
Edited: 10/4/05 3:00 AM
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Baseball Cards.....
For those of you that are hardcore Taiwanese baseball fans and collect memorabilia, here's a link to the baseball rookie cards of Tseng Sung-Wei and Wang Sheng-Wei in their Anchorage Bucs uniforms.
Link - click on 2005 Anchorage Bucs
Link - click on 2005 Anchorage Bucs
10/02 Lin update
Lin got into the game in the 7th inning to replace Shane Spencer in RF. Lin got 1 AB and flied out. Hanshin blanked the Swallows 7-0.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
10/01 Lin update
Playing for the newly crowned Central League champs - the Hanshin Tigers, Lin came up big against the Swallows. Lin, who started in RF, had 2 singles in 3 AB's, with a RBI and a BB. Lin's average for the year stands at .571
Look for this kid to get a good look from the Chinese Taipei selection committee when they begin choosing players for the national team in preparation for the World Classic.
Look for this kid to get a good look from the Chinese Taipei selection committee when they begin choosing players for the national team in preparation for the World Classic.
10/01 Kuo update
Kuo came in the 8th inning and faced one batter against the Padres. Kuo blew away Ben Johnson for his 10th K in 5.1 innings pitched. His ERA now stands at 6.75
NPB News: Lin
Wei-Tsu Lin got a pinch hit AB in the 7th inning for the Hanshin Tigers against the Yakult Swallows. Lin grounded out in his only plate appearance. His BA for the year is now .500 with 2 hits in 4 AB's.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Wang loses duel to Wells....
Wang pitched gallantly against the Red Sox, giving up only 4 hits in 6 2/3 innings pitched. However, due to uncharacteristic wildness which was not helped by a tight stike zone called by the home plate umpire, Wang also walked 6 hitters - 1 of which was intentional, but also one costly walk which forced in a run with the bases loaded. Of the 5 runs given up by Wang, only 3 of the runs were earned; Jason Giambi's erroneous throw to home in the 6th inning led to 2 unearned runs.
Through the first 5 innings, Wang pitched an efficient game. Aside from a first inning RBI single by AL MVP candidate David Ortiz and a leadoff solo blast by Jason Varitek in the 2nd inning, Wang had his sinking fastball working for him, getting almost all of his outs via the ground ball and with a good fastball - K'ing Manny Ramirez, Trot Nixon, and Jason Varitek. The ESPN radar gun had Wang clocked consistenly around 93 to 94 mph. Television viewers in Boston and New York reported that Wang was clocked at 97 to 98 mph via the local radar gun.
Things went a little haywire for Wang in the 6th inning. After a leadoff single by Damon, Wang got the first out of the inning by K'ing Renteria on a 92 mph fastball. Damon stole second base, which forced Torre to have Wang intentionally walk Big Papi. Manny Ramirez then sharply singled to left field, to load the bases. The next batter, Trot Nixon was walked with the bases loaded to force in Boston's third run. With the bases loaded and only one out, Wang got what he was looking for from Jason Varitek, a ground ball to first basemen Jason Giambi. However, Giambi muffed the throw to home in a force attempt, which allowed David Ortiz to score Boston's fourth run. Olerud then hit a sac-fly to center field to score Boston's fifth and final run. Wang finally got out of the inning when Giambi made a nice play at first when he snagged Bill Mueller's sharply hit ground ball. Final result of the disasterous 6th inning: 2 hits, 2 walks, 1 error, and 3 runs given up.
Despite the tough inning, Joe Torre decided to let Wang start one more inning. In the 7th, after getting 2 groundball outs, Wang walked his 6th and final batter and was pulled. Wang was still throwing hard, clocked at 93 to 94 mph in his last pitching frame.
Overall I'd give Wang a B based on his performance tonight. Facing the vaunted offense of the defending champs, Wang for the most part shut them down, only giving up 4 hits and 3 earned runs in 6 and 2/3 innings. Playing in a hostile environment with playoff implications, Wang, despite his wildness, pitched well enough to keep the Yanks in the game. Games like this are invaluable to Wang's pitching growth.
Through the first 5 innings, Wang pitched an efficient game. Aside from a first inning RBI single by AL MVP candidate David Ortiz and a leadoff solo blast by Jason Varitek in the 2nd inning, Wang had his sinking fastball working for him, getting almost all of his outs via the ground ball and with a good fastball - K'ing Manny Ramirez, Trot Nixon, and Jason Varitek. The ESPN radar gun had Wang clocked consistenly around 93 to 94 mph. Television viewers in Boston and New York reported that Wang was clocked at 97 to 98 mph via the local radar gun.
Things went a little haywire for Wang in the 6th inning. After a leadoff single by Damon, Wang got the first out of the inning by K'ing Renteria on a 92 mph fastball. Damon stole second base, which forced Torre to have Wang intentionally walk Big Papi. Manny Ramirez then sharply singled to left field, to load the bases. The next batter, Trot Nixon was walked with the bases loaded to force in Boston's third run. With the bases loaded and only one out, Wang got what he was looking for from Jason Varitek, a ground ball to first basemen Jason Giambi. However, Giambi muffed the throw to home in a force attempt, which allowed David Ortiz to score Boston's fourth run. Olerud then hit a sac-fly to center field to score Boston's fifth and final run. Wang finally got out of the inning when Giambi made a nice play at first when he snagged Bill Mueller's sharply hit ground ball. Final result of the disasterous 6th inning: 2 hits, 2 walks, 1 error, and 3 runs given up.
Despite the tough inning, Joe Torre decided to let Wang start one more inning. In the 7th, after getting 2 groundball outs, Wang walked his 6th and final batter and was pulled. Wang was still throwing hard, clocked at 93 to 94 mph in his last pitching frame.
Overall I'd give Wang a B based on his performance tonight. Facing the vaunted offense of the defending champs, Wang for the most part shut them down, only giving up 4 hits and 3 earned runs in 6 and 2/3 innings. Playing in a hostile environment with playoff implications, Wang, despite his wildness, pitched well enough to keep the Yanks in the game. Games like this are invaluable to Wang's pitching growth.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
9/29/05 Kuo update
Kuo struggled tonight, and earned his first professional loss. One night after a good performance against the D-Backs, Kuo had his problems in the 6th inning against the same team. Kuo came into the game in the 6th inning in relief work. He inherited a runner at 1st base with one out. However, Kuo balked the runner at first over to second. Kuo then gave up a double to Gonzo, which scored the runner at 2nd. After giving up another single to Chad Tracy, Kuo was pulled. Kuo ultimately was charged with the loss and 1 run. His ERA now stands at 7.20
Tracy is trying to get a read on how effective Kuo pitches in back to back games. So far the results haven't been very positive. But, Kuo is the type of kid who will use this game tonight as fuel for the next time out.
Tracy is trying to get a read on how effective Kuo pitches in back to back games. So far the results haven't been very positive. But, Kuo is the type of kid who will use this game tonight as fuel for the next time out.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
9/28/05 Kuo update
Kuo entered in the 6th inning with the Dodgers holding a 3-2 lead over the D-backs. This is the 3rd time that Kuo has faced this lineup. Kuo gave up a leadoff double to Gonzo, that probably should have been a single. However, RF Jose Cruz misplayed the fly by diving for the ball when he had no real shot at catching it. Kuo then K'd Chad Tracy on a 91 mph heater and Tony Clark on a 90 mph fastball. Kuo ended the inning without any harm by getting Troy Glaus to fly out to right field. Kuo's velocity was clocked around 89 to 91 mph. I'm not too sure how accurate those numbers are, as Kuo looked overpowering against Tracy and Clark. Dodgers long-time announcer Vin Scully was again impressed by Kuo's outing, stating that Kuo is a name to remember for next year.
Kuo's ERA is now down to a respectable 5.40 with 9 K's in 5 IP.
Kuo's ERA is now down to a respectable 5.40 with 9 K's in 5 IP.
Florida State League Top 20 Prospects...
Ching-Lung Hu was named by Baseball America as the 12th best prospect in the FSL - "A" level ball. The Dodgers organization was well represented, as 6 kids from the Vero Beach team were named to the top 20.
The scouting report on Hu called him "one of the most polished players in the FSL." Hu was praised as a defensive whiz with quick feet, soft hands, smooth fielding, good flexibility, and a plus throwing arm with accuracy. The report also noted his ability as a good contact hitter (.313 BA), display a keen eye (40 K's in 470 AB's), and flash some occasional power (8 HR's). The one knock on Hu was his lack of patience at the plate. He only had 19 BB in 470 AB's.
Hu should start next year at AA. If he continues to progress, I wouldn't be surprised if Hu is the next one to make it to the Majors.
The scouting report on Hu called him "one of the most polished players in the FSL." Hu was praised as a defensive whiz with quick feet, soft hands, smooth fielding, good flexibility, and a plus throwing arm with accuracy. The report also noted his ability as a good contact hitter (.313 BA), display a keen eye (40 K's in 470 AB's), and flash some occasional power (8 HR's). The one knock on Hu was his lack of patience at the plate. He only had 19 BB in 470 AB's.
Hu should start next year at AA. If he continues to progress, I wouldn't be surprised if Hu is the next one to make it to the Majors.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
9/26/05 Kuo update
Kuo pitched in relief in last night's series finale against the Pirates. Kuo entered the game in the 7th inning, relieving Steve Schmoll, with the Dodgers hanging onto a 4-3 lead. Inheriting a situation with 1 out in the inning and runners on 1st and 2nd base, Kuo calmly K'd Rob Mackowiak and got the next batter, Ryan Doumitt to ground out to second.
Kuo displayed a good fastball, clocked around 94 mph, and more importantly demonstrated better command of his pitches, throwing 5 out of 6 pitches for strikes. Kuo also dropped his ERA down to 6.75
Kuo displayed a good fastball, clocked around 94 mph, and more importantly demonstrated better command of his pitches, throwing 5 out of 6 pitches for strikes. Kuo also dropped his ERA down to 6.75
Monday, September 26, 2005
Wang to start Friday...
Wang will open the series against the Red Sox in a huge showdown that will help to determine 1st place in the AL East.
For those of you in the US, the game will be broadcast by ESPN at 7:05 ET.
Link
For those of you in the US, the game will be broadcast by ESPN at 7:05 ET.
Link
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Wang wins lucky number 8!
After the game Sunday vs. the Blue Jays, Wang was subjected to a 'lil rookie hazing. Check out Wang dressed as a cheerleader. I hope to NEVER see him in drag again!!!
In the game, Wang was all business. The first four innings, Wang was brilliant, pitching a no-hit/shutout performance. He had his sinker working for him, inducing 9 ground outs and 2 K's in those innings, while running his fastball around 90-93 mph.
Then in the 5th inning, Wang had trouble locating his pitch, and left a few pitches over the plate. In the 5th he gave up a lead-off double to Corey Koskie, then induced a groundout from Hillenbrand. The next Blue Jays hitter, Eric Hinske tatooed a 92 mph fastball that was left over the plate, into the centerfield bleachers for a 2-run blast. Following Hinske's HR, Gregg Zaun walked. Reed Johnson then singled, advancing Zaun to 3rd. Johnson was caught trying to steal 2nd for the second out of the inning. Wang then gave up a bloop-double to Aaron Hill, scoring Zaun. Finally, Wang got a ground out from the next batter to end the inning.
In the 6th and 7th inning, Wang continued to struggle with his command, although he was still throwing the heater around 89-92 mph. However, he was able to escape both innings without giving up a run, while giving up 2 singles. Wang did manage to induce 3 more ground outs and a fly out sandwiched around a K . Wang finished the 7th inning, trailing 3-2. However, in the bottom of the 7th, Robinson Cano smashed a 2-run HR to make Wang eligible for the win. In the final 2 innings, Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera closed out the game and the Yanks offense secured Wang's 8th win of the season.
Wang's most impressive stat of the night was his 14 ground outs to 1 fly out ratio. The Yanks infield D did a good job backing up Wang. Congrats to the Wanger as he runs his record to 8-4 and lowers his ERA to 4.02.
In the game, Wang was all business. The first four innings, Wang was brilliant, pitching a no-hit/shutout performance. He had his sinker working for him, inducing 9 ground outs and 2 K's in those innings, while running his fastball around 90-93 mph.
Then in the 5th inning, Wang had trouble locating his pitch, and left a few pitches over the plate. In the 5th he gave up a lead-off double to Corey Koskie, then induced a groundout from Hillenbrand. The next Blue Jays hitter, Eric Hinske tatooed a 92 mph fastball that was left over the plate, into the centerfield bleachers for a 2-run blast. Following Hinske's HR, Gregg Zaun walked. Reed Johnson then singled, advancing Zaun to 3rd. Johnson was caught trying to steal 2nd for the second out of the inning. Wang then gave up a bloop-double to Aaron Hill, scoring Zaun. Finally, Wang got a ground out from the next batter to end the inning.
In the 6th and 7th inning, Wang continued to struggle with his command, although he was still throwing the heater around 89-92 mph. However, he was able to escape both innings without giving up a run, while giving up 2 singles. Wang did manage to induce 3 more ground outs and a fly out sandwiched around a K . Wang finished the 7th inning, trailing 3-2. However, in the bottom of the 7th, Robinson Cano smashed a 2-run HR to make Wang eligible for the win. In the final 2 innings, Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera closed out the game and the Yanks offense secured Wang's 8th win of the season.
Wang's most impressive stat of the night was his 14 ground outs to 1 fly out ratio. The Yanks infield D did a good job backing up Wang. Congrats to the Wanger as he runs his record to 8-4 and lowers his ERA to 4.02.
Friday, September 23, 2005
9/23/05 Kuo update
Kuo got into Friday's game vs the Pirates, but faced only one batter in the 8th inning. Kuo struggled with his command, walking Michael Restovich on 5 pitches, before getting pulled by Tracy. ~ Keep your head up kid, there's always tomorrow.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Bringing the ERA on down.....
Hong-Chih Kuo lowered his ERA to 8.10 after Thursday's game vs. the DBacks. It wasn't too long ago that he had an ERA of 81.0 after giving up Bond's HR. Kuo pitched the 7th inning and faced the 1-5 hitters for the DBacks. After giving up an initial double to Craig Counsell, Kuo got Chad Tracy to fly out, Gonzo to ground out - which advanced Counsell to third base. Kuo then intentionally walked Tony Clark, before getting out of the inning by K'ing Shawn Green on a 95 MPH heater. - Another solid performance for the Comeback Kid!!!!
Chien-Ming Wang will get the start this Sunday for the Yankees against the BlueJays. The decision was made by Torre as Aaron Small will be moved to the bullpen to make way for Mike Mussina's return to the starting rotation. - Quite a vote of confidence for the young hurler from Taiwan!!
Chien-Ming Wang will get the start this Sunday for the Yankees against the BlueJays. The decision was made by Torre as Aaron Small will be moved to the bullpen to make way for Mike Mussina's return to the starting rotation. - Quite a vote of confidence for the young hurler from Taiwan!!
Good read on Taiwan baseball background/history...
Check it out....I found it to be very informative.......Link
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Random news & thoughts.....
Hong-Chih Kuo looked good pitching middle relief for the Dodgers yesterday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. I watched the 6th and 7th innings where Kuo had 5 K's in the 2 innings. The most impressive part about Kuo's performance was striking out the heart of the Dbacks lineup - Luis Gonzales, Tony Clark, and Troy Glaus. Kuo's fastball was clocked between 91 and 94 mph, but he had no problems blowing the fastball past those guys. Kuo also exhibited the occasional, but effective 12-6 curveball that was around 76-78 mph. I'm still waiting to see the 98 to 99 mph cheese that he's shown this year in Jacksonville. This performance by Kuo is a great sign after he had given up that towering shot to Bonds the other night. It shows that Kuo has some tough mental resolve and fortitude that will allow him to succeed at this level.
Well, Chin-Feng Chen's 7 year contract with the Dodgers is officially over. Rumor has it, that Chen will pursue a career in Japan if he is not invited back next season for spring training. Personally, I think it's time for Chen to move on. The Dodgers organization has shown that it is going with younger prospects and that Chen's window of opportunity has closed. Should Chen leave for the NPB, the Pacific League would be ideal for showcasing Chen's bat, as the DH rule is still in effect.
Taiwan will begin preparations for the World Baseball Classic next month in October. The head coach will be selected first. It was rumored that the CTBA was interested in seeking out Saharu Oh to coach the team. That was wishful thinking, as Oh has been tapped to lead Japan in the inaugural Baseball Classic. Once the coaching staff is complete, 60 potential players will be selected for tryouts. From there, the roster will be eventually reduced to 30 players.
I also found out that Yung-Chi Chen sat out the last game of the World Cup against the US because of an injury - a sprained foot. Let's hope it's not too serious, as he prepares for his offseason workouts.
Well, Chin-Feng Chen's 7 year contract with the Dodgers is officially over. Rumor has it, that Chen will pursue a career in Japan if he is not invited back next season for spring training. Personally, I think it's time for Chen to move on. The Dodgers organization has shown that it is going with younger prospects and that Chen's window of opportunity has closed. Should Chen leave for the NPB, the Pacific League would be ideal for showcasing Chen's bat, as the DH rule is still in effect.
Taiwan will begin preparations for the World Baseball Classic next month in October. The head coach will be selected first. It was rumored that the CTBA was interested in seeking out Saharu Oh to coach the team. That was wishful thinking, as Oh has been tapped to lead Japan in the inaugural Baseball Classic. Once the coaching staff is complete, 60 potential players will be selected for tryouts. From there, the roster will be eventually reduced to 30 players.
I also found out that Yung-Chi Chen sat out the last game of the World Cup against the US because of an injury - a sprained foot. Let's hope it's not too serious, as he prepares for his offseason workouts.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Kuo Hui Lo - Scouting Report
I've decided to profile Lo after witnessing his talent and meeting him in person this past summer. Despite his quiet demeanor, he's a great guy who goes out of his way to meet and sign for all of his fans.
Lo currently is 19 years old, but will turn 20 at the end of September. His age could work against him, since it will take him a few years to get accustomed to the US.
Most Taiwanese players face culture shock when they get here. Some players thrive - see Chin-Feng Chen and Chin-Hui Tsao, while others struggle - see Chia-An Huang and Ching-Lung Lo.
Physically, Lo stands 6'2" and weighs 185 pounds. He bats righty and throws righty. He has a very projectable body that should get stronger as he matures.
From a genetic stand point, Lo is Chin-Hui Tsao's nephew - yea, the same Tsao of the Colorado Rockies who clocks triple digits on the radar gun. As you can see, baseball runs in the family.
Lo's most impressive attributes are his offensive capabilities. Lo has always been able to hit for high average and demonstrate plus power during competitive play. In his native country, Lo hit .363 in 80 AB's while cranking 2 HR's, contributed 20 RBI's, and had 11 SB's, with only 10 K's in Taiwan's amateur senior level league in 2005 play. During this summer's US tour, which I eyewitnessed, he was easily the most impressive offensive player on both sides of the field.
Lo's bat during the World Cup produced a top 10 BA: .433 while batting clean up for Chinese Taipei.
Lo is able to generate plus power and get good wood on the bat because of a fundamental level swing, quick wrists, and strong hips which help generate tremendous bat speed and torque.
Citybear, who I have a weblink to, has taken some great pictures of Lo # 52 at the plate - check it out. At the plate Lo has shown good discipline. Earlier this summer, while facing one of the top US college pitchers in Ian Kennedy, Lo was able to work the count and draw a walk from Kennedy.
As a baserunner, Lo shows good instincts, although he was picked off first base by US pitcher Chris Michalak during World Cup play. Lo tied Ching-Lung Hu with 2 SB's for the team lead in that department. I personally timed Lo around 4.3 seconds (+/- .1 seconds) going from home to first base - which is above average for his size.
Defensively, Lo covers adequate range in the OF with his wheels. During summer play in the US, Lo played all 3 OF positions, although his primary defensive position was CF. I was unable to judge Lo's arm strength, as he was never tested in any of these games. It is interesting to note that Lo was used strictly as a DH for Taiwan during World Cup play. I do not know the reasoning behind the manager's decision not to play Lo in OF.
It is easy to see the similarities in Lo's game with the guy he idolizes: Chin-Feng Chen of the Dodgers. Lo wears #52 in honor of Chen. Physically the two guys are very similar: Chen stands 6'1" and weighs 190 pounds. Both are good fastball hitters with power and speed potential. However, hopefully the comparisons to Chen end here. While Chen is viewed as an icon in his native Taiwan and has had success at the AAA level, he has been unable to latch on to a major league team secondary to perceived weaknesses: defensive liability and a high K rate. My hope for Lo is that he will be able to surpass the achievements of Chen and someday be a key contributor in the Major Leagues. I wish Lo the best of luck in achieving his dreams of making it to the Big Show!
Edited: 9/19/05
Lo currently is 19 years old, but will turn 20 at the end of September. His age could work against him, since it will take him a few years to get accustomed to the US.
Most Taiwanese players face culture shock when they get here. Some players thrive - see Chin-Feng Chen and Chin-Hui Tsao, while others struggle - see Chia-An Huang and Ching-Lung Lo.
Physically, Lo stands 6'2" and weighs 185 pounds. He bats righty and throws righty. He has a very projectable body that should get stronger as he matures.
From a genetic stand point, Lo is Chin-Hui Tsao's nephew - yea, the same Tsao of the Colorado Rockies who clocks triple digits on the radar gun. As you can see, baseball runs in the family.
Lo's most impressive attributes are his offensive capabilities. Lo has always been able to hit for high average and demonstrate plus power during competitive play. In his native country, Lo hit .363 in 80 AB's while cranking 2 HR's, contributed 20 RBI's, and had 11 SB's, with only 10 K's in Taiwan's amateur senior level league in 2005 play. During this summer's US tour, which I eyewitnessed, he was easily the most impressive offensive player on both sides of the field.
Lo's bat during the World Cup produced a top 10 BA: .433 while batting clean up for Chinese Taipei.
Lo is able to generate plus power and get good wood on the bat because of a fundamental level swing, quick wrists, and strong hips which help generate tremendous bat speed and torque.
Citybear, who I have a weblink to, has taken some great pictures of Lo # 52 at the plate - check it out. At the plate Lo has shown good discipline. Earlier this summer, while facing one of the top US college pitchers in Ian Kennedy, Lo was able to work the count and draw a walk from Kennedy.
As a baserunner, Lo shows good instincts, although he was picked off first base by US pitcher Chris Michalak during World Cup play. Lo tied Ching-Lung Hu with 2 SB's for the team lead in that department. I personally timed Lo around 4.3 seconds (+/- .1 seconds) going from home to first base - which is above average for his size.
Defensively, Lo covers adequate range in the OF with his wheels. During summer play in the US, Lo played all 3 OF positions, although his primary defensive position was CF. I was unable to judge Lo's arm strength, as he was never tested in any of these games. It is interesting to note that Lo was used strictly as a DH for Taiwan during World Cup play. I do not know the reasoning behind the manager's decision not to play Lo in OF.
It is easy to see the similarities in Lo's game with the guy he idolizes: Chin-Feng Chen of the Dodgers. Lo wears #52 in honor of Chen. Physically the two guys are very similar: Chen stands 6'1" and weighs 190 pounds. Both are good fastball hitters with power and speed potential. However, hopefully the comparisons to Chen end here. While Chen is viewed as an icon in his native Taiwan and has had success at the AAA level, he has been unable to latch on to a major league team secondary to perceived weaknesses: defensive liability and a high K rate. My hope for Lo is that he will be able to surpass the achievements of Chen and someday be a key contributor in the Major Leagues. I wish Lo the best of luck in achieving his dreams of making it to the Big Show!
Edited: 9/19/05
Saturday, September 17, 2005
No Surprise Here......
Cuba won yet another World Cup title, beating South Korea in the title game 3-0. Cuba has dominated this event and the amateur baseball scene for quite some time now. I'm eager to see if Cuba will participate in the Baseball World Classic, when it will face the world's best players from the MLB and NPB. Panama edged host nation - the Netherlands 7-6 for the bronze medal.
Taiwan did manage to place a member of it's team to the tournament All-Star team. Yung-Chi Chen, a member of the Mariners organization, was named an All-Star at 2B. In the 8 games Taiwan played, Chen had a great all-around showing, leading the team in hitting(BA), and showing a tremendous glove (o errors). 2B is Chen's most natural position, although the Mariners have been playing Chen at 3B in the minors.
Taiwan did manage to place a member of it's team to the tournament All-Star team. Yung-Chi Chen, a member of the Mariners organization, was named an All-Star at 2B. In the 8 games Taiwan played, Chen had a great all-around showing, leading the team in hitting(BA), and showing a tremendous glove (o errors). 2B is Chen's most natural position, although the Mariners have been playing Chen at 3B in the minors.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Taiwan's final stats for the 36th World Cup..
Can be found here.
Based on World Cup play, I am encouraged to see that Taiwan's future is in good hands. Bringing the youngest team into the tourney, Taiwan was able to gain valuable international experience for these young guys. Despite a losing record of 3-5, Taiwan was fairly competitive, even in their losses. The loss to Colombia was a huge upset and an aberration; but Japan, the US, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico all sported a more veteran and better all around team than Taiwan. Taiwan did manage a quality win over Australia.
Taiwan's hitters were able to prove that they can compete with anyone. In preliminary action, Taiwan had the 5th highest team batting average (.320), was 6th in total HR's hit (8), 4th in team hits (89), and 5th in slugging (.500). However, timely hitting was a problem for Taiwan, as it was only average/middle of the pack with 48 runs scored. Also errors cost Taiwan a number of runs and even a game (vs. US), as evidenced by it's team .958 fielding percentage.
Taiwan's young pitchers were overmatched against the competition they faced. Against weaker opponents, Taiwan's pitchers were very effective. However against the stronger teams in the pool, the kids faltered. As a team, Taiwan's pitchers gave up 8 HR's in 8 games, and had a team ERA of 3.92.
Many of these unsigned kids will go on to careers in the CPBL. Tseng(P) and Kuo(OF) are 2 good examples of kids who put up good numbers in the World Cup, but because of their lack of prototypical size, will probably end up playing domestically in Taiwan.
As for the kids who signed contracts with the MLB and the NPB; Lo, Hu, and Chen hit very well and I'm sure made their respective organizations proud. Pitchers Cheng, Keng, and Chiang will need to step up their game if they expect to climb the organizational ladder all the way to the top.
It will be interesting to see if any of these kids make the national team next spring for the World Baseball Classic.
Based on World Cup play, I am encouraged to see that Taiwan's future is in good hands. Bringing the youngest team into the tourney, Taiwan was able to gain valuable international experience for these young guys. Despite a losing record of 3-5, Taiwan was fairly competitive, even in their losses. The loss to Colombia was a huge upset and an aberration; but Japan, the US, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico all sported a more veteran and better all around team than Taiwan. Taiwan did manage a quality win over Australia.
Taiwan's hitters were able to prove that they can compete with anyone. In preliminary action, Taiwan had the 5th highest team batting average (.320), was 6th in total HR's hit (8), 4th in team hits (89), and 5th in slugging (.500). However, timely hitting was a problem for Taiwan, as it was only average/middle of the pack with 48 runs scored. Also errors cost Taiwan a number of runs and even a game (vs. US), as evidenced by it's team .958 fielding percentage.
Taiwan's young pitchers were overmatched against the competition they faced. Against weaker opponents, Taiwan's pitchers were very effective. However against the stronger teams in the pool, the kids faltered. As a team, Taiwan's pitchers gave up 8 HR's in 8 games, and had a team ERA of 3.92.
Many of these unsigned kids will go on to careers in the CPBL. Tseng(P) and Kuo(OF) are 2 good examples of kids who put up good numbers in the World Cup, but because of their lack of prototypical size, will probably end up playing domestically in Taiwan.
As for the kids who signed contracts with the MLB and the NPB; Lo, Hu, and Chen hit very well and I'm sure made their respective organizations proud. Pitchers Cheng, Keng, and Chiang will need to step up their game if they expect to climb the organizational ladder all the way to the top.
It will be interesting to see if any of these kids make the national team next spring for the World Baseball Classic.
Three errors cost Taiwan game vs. USA
Taiwan lost it's last game in the World Cup to the US by a score of 5-4. Again, Taiwan outhit and outslugged (3 HR's) the USA, but three costly errors committed in the 6th inning allowed the US to score 4 runs, of which only 1 run was earned. Taiwan also had 3 runners picked off first base by US pitcher Christian Michalak, which was totally unacceptable and embarrassing.
Starting pitcher Sung-Wei Tseng was solid for Taiwan, going 6 strong innings, giving up only 1 ER, K'd 7 hitters, and had 2 BB's.
As for Taiwan's hitters,
Yung-Chi Chen DNP
Ching-Lung Hu was 1-4 with a double
Kuo-Hui Lo went 2-3 with a BB, a HR, and 2 RBI's
Chun-Yu Kuo went hitless in 4 AB's and K'd all 4 times
Others of note:
Ying-Chieh Liao was 2-2 with a HR and a RBI
Sheng-Wei Wang was 1-3 with a HR and a RBI, but committed 2 errors in the 6th inning
Thus ends Taiwan's play in the World Cup.
Starting pitcher Sung-Wei Tseng was solid for Taiwan, going 6 strong innings, giving up only 1 ER, K'd 7 hitters, and had 2 BB's.
As for Taiwan's hitters,
Yung-Chi Chen DNP
Ching-Lung Hu was 1-4 with a double
Kuo-Hui Lo went 2-3 with a BB, a HR, and 2 RBI's
Chun-Yu Kuo went hitless in 4 AB's and K'd all 4 times
Others of note:
Ying-Chieh Liao was 2-2 with a HR and a RBI
Sheng-Wei Wang was 1-3 with a HR and a RBI, but committed 2 errors in the 6th inning
Thus ends Taiwan's play in the World Cup.
Monday, September 12, 2005
No playoffs for Taiwan.....
Taiwan missed out on the quarterfinals with an 11-4 loss to Nicaragua. The loss demonstrated Taiwan's biggest weakness - quality pitching.
Chi-Hung Cheng started the game for Taiwan and couldn't even get out of the first inning. He gave up 5 consecutive base hits and 5 earned runs, before being yanked. The relief pitchers didn't fare much better.
Taiwan's hitters continued their torrid hitting pace:
Yung-Chi Chen was 3-5 with a RBI and a double
Ching-Lung Hu went 1-4 with a BB and a double
Kuo-Hui Lo was 2-4 with a triple
Chun-Yu Kuo hit his 4th HR of the tourney and was 2-4 with 2 RBI's, including the roundtripper
Taiwan will be playing the final matchup of preliminary play against the US. The original matchup between the US and Taiwan was scheduled on 9-11-05. However due to the sensitivity of the date to the American ballplayers, the game was rescheduled for 9-13-05. You can follow the action live on this link.
Chi-Hung Cheng started the game for Taiwan and couldn't even get out of the first inning. He gave up 5 consecutive base hits and 5 earned runs, before being yanked. The relief pitchers didn't fare much better.
Taiwan's hitters continued their torrid hitting pace:
Yung-Chi Chen was 3-5 with a RBI and a double
Ching-Lung Hu went 1-4 with a BB and a double
Kuo-Hui Lo was 2-4 with a triple
Chun-Yu Kuo hit his 4th HR of the tourney and was 2-4 with 2 RBI's, including the roundtripper
Taiwan will be playing the final matchup of preliminary play against the US. The original matchup between the US and Taiwan was scheduled on 9-11-05. However due to the sensitivity of the date to the American ballplayers, the game was rescheduled for 9-13-05. You can follow the action live on this link.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
A win vs. Australia!!!
Taiwan ended a 3 game losing streak and outhit/outpitched Australia for sole posession of 5th place in their pool. Taiwan won 11-4 behind a complete game, 5 hit performance from pitcher Chien-Ming Chiang. Chiang had 6K's/0 walks/ and gave up 4 runs - 2 earned, all by way of home runs (2).
Offensively, Taiwan racked up 18 hits, as pretty much everyone in the lineup got in on the hit parade.
Chen in 5 plate appearances had a single and a RBI
Hu in 5 plate appearances had 2 hits - (single,double) and a SB
Lo in 5 plate appearances had 2 hits -(single, double), a SB, and 2 RBI's
Kuo in 5 plate appearances had 4 hits - all singles
In an interesting note, Kuo-Hui Lo has DH'd in all of the games and has not played defensively in the OF.
Offensively, Taiwan racked up 18 hits, as pretty much everyone in the lineup got in on the hit parade.
Chen in 5 plate appearances had a single and a RBI
Hu in 5 plate appearances had 2 hits - (single,double) and a SB
Lo in 5 plate appearances had 2 hits -(single, double), a SB, and 2 RBI's
Kuo in 5 plate appearances had 4 hits - all singles
In an interesting note, Kuo-Hui Lo has DH'd in all of the games and has not played defensively in the OF.
Friday, September 09, 2005
Three in a row......
Taiwan lost it's 3rd consecutive game to Colombia on Friday 3-2. This was Colombia's 1ST win in the tourney. With this loss, Taiwan has sealed it's own fate, and will head home after the 3 remaining games in preliminary play. Hopefully Taiwan can beat one of the 3 teams left and salvage some lost pride.
Yung-Chi Chen had a good game, going 2-4 with a BB and a RBI
Ching-Lung Hu was 1-4
Kuo-Hui Lo was 1-4
Chun-Yu Kuo was 1-4
Click here for game boxscore.
Yung-Chi Chen had a good game, going 2-4 with a BB and a RBI
Ching-Lung Hu was 1-4
Kuo-Hui Lo was 1-4
Chun-Yu Kuo was 1-4
Click here for game boxscore.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Japan beats Taiwan 7-1.....
In World Cup play, despite being outhit 9-8. Taiwan was unable to string together any timely hits.
Po-Hsuan Keng pitched an efficient 4 1/3 innings, but had some control issues - walking 3 batters, which led to him getting pulled early. Keng had 3 K's/gave up 3 hits - one of which was a HR/and left the game in a 1-1 tie. Like the Puerto Rico game, Taiwan's relief pitchers could not hold down the opposing batters.
Bouncing back from a tough game yesterday, Ching-Lung Hu went 2-4 at the plate.
Yung-Chi Chen was 1-5.
Kuo-Hui Lo was 0-3 with 2 SO's.
Chun-Yu Kuo went 0-2 with 2 SO's, with 2 BB's.
Taiwan has an off day tomorrow, but is currently sitting in the 5th spot in it's pool. Taiwan has 4 games remaining, and faces a scenario where it might have to win 3/4 to advance to the next round. That could prove to be a tough task, as Australia is no pushover, while the US and Nicaragua are currently undefeated.
Po-Hsuan Keng pitched an efficient 4 1/3 innings, but had some control issues - walking 3 batters, which led to him getting pulled early. Keng had 3 K's/gave up 3 hits - one of which was a HR/and left the game in a 1-1 tie. Like the Puerto Rico game, Taiwan's relief pitchers could not hold down the opposing batters.
Bouncing back from a tough game yesterday, Ching-Lung Hu went 2-4 at the plate.
Yung-Chi Chen was 1-5.
Kuo-Hui Lo was 0-3 with 2 SO's.
Chun-Yu Kuo went 0-2 with 2 SO's, with 2 BB's.
Taiwan has an off day tomorrow, but is currently sitting in the 5th spot in it's pool. Taiwan has 4 games remaining, and faces a scenario where it might have to win 3/4 to advance to the next round. That could prove to be a tough task, as Australia is no pushover, while the US and Nicaragua are currently undefeated.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Taiwan places 3rd in Asia AAA Baseball Tourney
Taiwan won 3rd place in the tourney, beating China 14-4 in the consolation game.
Japan, led by it's own super pitching prospect - Tsujiuchi Takanobu, beat South Korea 5-4 in the championship game. Tsujiuchi, a LHP, led Osaka Toin HS to the semifinals in the 2005 Koshien Tournament - the Japanese HS national championships, where it lost to the eventual champs - Komadai, this past year. Tsujiuchi (clocked at 95 mph) has been recorded to be the hardest throwing southpaw ever in Koshien Tournament history. Tsujiuchi was named the best LHP in the Asian AAA tourney.
Taiwan managed to have 2 kids named to the Asian AAA All star team:
Chun-Lin Chen - best RHP
Chao-Ting Tang - best LF
Overall, this has been a tremendous showing of young Asian pitching talent, with South Korea's Han Ki-Joo and Japan's Tsujiuchi Takanobu headlining the cream of the crop.
Japan, led by it's own super pitching prospect - Tsujiuchi Takanobu, beat South Korea 5-4 in the championship game. Tsujiuchi, a LHP, led Osaka Toin HS to the semifinals in the 2005 Koshien Tournament - the Japanese HS national championships, where it lost to the eventual champs - Komadai, this past year. Tsujiuchi (clocked at 95 mph) has been recorded to be the hardest throwing southpaw ever in Koshien Tournament history. Tsujiuchi was named the best LHP in the Asian AAA tourney.
Taiwan managed to have 2 kids named to the Asian AAA All star team:
Chun-Lin Chen - best RHP
Chao-Ting Tang - best LF
Overall, this has been a tremendous showing of young Asian pitching talent, with South Korea's Han Ki-Joo and Japan's Tsujiuchi Takanobu headlining the cream of the crop.
Close loss in World Cup play....
Taiwan lost to Puerto Rico 6-4 in today's World Cup action. That leaves Taiwan with a current record of 2-1.
A brief synopsis of how some of the young guys did for Taiwan:
1)Yung-Chi Chen: 2-4 1 HR, 1 RBI
2)Ching-Lung Hu: 0-4
3)Kuo-Hui Lo: 1-2 BB, caught stealing once
4)Chun-Yu Kuo: 1-3 1 HR, 3 RBI's
5)Chi-Hung Cheng: Starting pitcher, went 5 innings, gave up 3 ER's/1 HR, with 4K's/2BB's
Interesting note:
Chun-Yu Kuo has blasted 3 HR's in the past 2 games.
A brief synopsis of how some of the young guys did for Taiwan:
1)Yung-Chi Chen: 2-4 1 HR, 1 RBI
2)Ching-Lung Hu: 0-4
3)Kuo-Hui Lo: 1-2 BB, caught stealing once
4)Chun-Yu Kuo: 1-3 1 HR, 3 RBI's
5)Chi-Hung Cheng: Starting pitcher, went 5 innings, gave up 3 ER's/1 HR, with 4K's/2BB's
Interesting note:
Chun-Yu Kuo has blasted 3 HR's in the past 2 games.
The Class of 2003 - The Pitchers
Wei-Yin Chen
Chi-Hung Cheng
Ching-Lung Lo
Chia-An Huang
Well, the current crop of junior pitching talent in Taiwan has been a big disappointment to me. However, it wasn't too long ago that several prominent pitchers from the high school class of 2003 ascended into the spotlight.
Semi-quoting an R. Kelly song, " '85 was a very good year, if you know what i mean my dear......"
1985 was the birth year for these 5 young pitchers:
1)Chien-Ming Chiang (Yomiuri Giants) 5/27/85
2)Chi-Hung Cheng (Toronto Blue Jays) 6/20/85
3)Wei-Yin Chen (Chunichi Dragons) 7/21/85
4)Ching-Lung Lo (Colorado Rockies) 8/20/85
5)Chia-An Huang (Seattle Mariners) 11/11/85
The development of premium young arms is vital to Taiwan's continued success on the international baseball stage.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Senior NT win vs Spain/Junior NT loss to South Korea
Happy Labor Day to all of you in the States!
In the Asian AAA Championships, the junior NT lost to South Korea in one semifinal 5-4. The kids from Taiwan faced the top South Korean high school pitcher, Han Ki-Joo - who inkedthe highest signing bonus in the history of the KBO. Han has been clocked as high as 152 kmph, but was consistently around 145 to 148 kmph in the game against Taiwan. Hitting stars for Taiwan were: Chih-Hsien Chiang with 3 hits, and Kun-Sheng Lin with 2 hits. Kai-Wen Cheng, pitched a tough game, going 7 1/3 innings, giving up 3 runs.
Over in Holland, the senior NT got their bats going against Spain. Taiwan won 12-2. The hitting parade was led by:
1)Yung-Chi Chen: 2-5, 1 double, 1 RBI
2)Ching-Lung Hu: 3-5, 1 double, 1 triple, 2 RBI
3)Kuo-Hui Lo: 4-4, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 SB
4)Chih-Yao Chan: 4-5, 1 RBI
5)Chun-Yu Kuo: 2-3, 2 HR's, 4 RBI, 2 BB
In the Asian AAA Championships, the junior NT lost to South Korea in one semifinal 5-4. The kids from Taiwan faced the top South Korean high school pitcher, Han Ki-Joo - who inkedthe highest signing bonus in the history of the KBO. Han has been clocked as high as 152 kmph, but was consistently around 145 to 148 kmph in the game against Taiwan. Hitting stars for Taiwan were: Chih-Hsien Chiang with 3 hits, and Kun-Sheng Lin with 2 hits. Kai-Wen Cheng, pitched a tough game, going 7 1/3 innings, giving up 3 runs.
Over in Holland, the senior NT got their bats going against Spain. Taiwan won 12-2. The hitting parade was led by:
1)Yung-Chi Chen: 2-5, 1 double, 1 RBI
2)Ching-Lung Hu: 3-5, 1 double, 1 triple, 2 RBI
3)Kuo-Hui Lo: 4-4, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 SB
4)Chih-Yao Chan: 4-5, 1 RBI
5)Chun-Yu Kuo: 2-3, 2 HR's, 4 RBI, 2 BB
Sunday, September 04, 2005
World Cup/AAA Asian Champ. Update
Well, the Taiwanese junior national baseball team finds itself in a hole with an 0-2 record. Taiwan lost to South Korea 6-2 and Japan 13-8. It will play the loser of South Korea-Japan in one semifinal. Taiwan's biggest weakness seems to be the lack of a dominant pitcher.
In World Cup action, Taiwan defeated the Czech. Republic in their opening game 10-1. As expected, Chung-Yi Chen and Ching-Lung Hu provided instant offense to the senior NT. Chen was 3-5 with a double, while Hu was 2-5 with a triple. Kuo Hui Lo managed to muster up a base-hit. Based on the official team rosters, Taiwan has the youngest team in the tourney. We'll see if youth is served in this competition. The first real test for Taiwan should be against Puerto Rico on Tuesday.
In World Cup action, Taiwan defeated the Czech. Republic in their opening game 10-1. As expected, Chung-Yi Chen and Ching-Lung Hu provided instant offense to the senior NT. Chen was 3-5 with a double, while Hu was 2-5 with a triple. Kuo Hui Lo managed to muster up a base-hit. Based on the official team rosters, Taiwan has the youngest team in the tourney. We'll see if youth is served in this competition. The first real test for Taiwan should be against Puerto Rico on Tuesday.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Asian AAA - Junior Baseball Championships....
Featuring the top 16 - 18 year olds in Asia, will get underway tomorrow as well. The competition will be held in South Korea.
Taiwan is in group A with Japan and South Korea. The other bracket B features China, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.
Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea are guaranteed spots in the semifinals. Only the top team from group B will advance to play the top team from Group A in one semifinal, while the runner up in Group A will play the 3rd place finisher of Goup A.
Kids to keep an eye out for Taiwan are:
P Kai-Wen Cheng
P Chu-Kuan Li
1B Chih-Hsien Chiang
DH Shen-Fu Tsai
Taiwan is in group A with Japan and South Korea. The other bracket B features China, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.
Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea are guaranteed spots in the semifinals. Only the top team from group B will advance to play the top team from Group A in one semifinal, while the runner up in Group A will play the 3rd place finisher of Goup A.
Kids to keep an eye out for Taiwan are:
P Kai-Wen Cheng
P Chu-Kuan Li
1B Chih-Hsien Chiang
DH Shen-Fu Tsai
36th edition of the Baseball World Cup.....
Kicks off tomorrow in Holland!! Taiwan is grouped in a tough bracket with: the USA, Japan, Australia, and Puerto Rico headlining the pool. Nicaragua, Greece, Columbia, and Spain fill out the rest of the bracket.
Taiwan will play it's first game 9/3/05 - Sat. against the Czech Republic. The rest of it's preliminary schedule is listed below:
9/5 vs Spain
9/6 vs Puerto Rico
9/7 vs Japan
9/9 vs Colombia
9/10 vs Australia
9/12 vs Nicaragua
9/13 vs USA
Based on the competition, Taiwan would have to finish in the top 4 of it's bracket to continue on to the quarterfinals. That could be a tough task because Taiwan is struggling right now to find people who can consistently hit and produce runs. OF Chih Yao Chan, DH/OF Kuo Hui Lo, and 1B Chun Yu Kuo have been the only guys who have proven they can hit international pitching. Also, there has been no dominant pitcher for Taiwan in pre-World Cup action.
That could all change with a couple of guys who've been playing in the US and Japan joining the team recently. P's Cheng(BlueJays) and Chiang (Yomiuri) are key editions to the team. I see those two guys essentially being the aces of the pitching staff. If Taiwan wants to do well, those 2 kids will have to pitch well and keep the scoring low. Hu(Dodgers) and Chen(Mariners) should help the IF defensively and provide a much needed boost to an anemic offense.
Taiwan will play it's first game 9/3/05 - Sat. against the Czech Republic. The rest of it's preliminary schedule is listed below:
9/5 vs Spain
9/6 vs Puerto Rico
9/7 vs Japan
9/9 vs Colombia
9/10 vs Australia
9/12 vs Nicaragua
9/13 vs USA
Based on the competition, Taiwan would have to finish in the top 4 of it's bracket to continue on to the quarterfinals. That could be a tough task because Taiwan is struggling right now to find people who can consistently hit and produce runs. OF Chih Yao Chan, DH/OF Kuo Hui Lo, and 1B Chun Yu Kuo have been the only guys who have proven they can hit international pitching. Also, there has been no dominant pitcher for Taiwan in pre-World Cup action.
That could all change with a couple of guys who've been playing in the US and Japan joining the team recently. P's Cheng(BlueJays) and Chiang (Yomiuri) are key editions to the team. I see those two guys essentially being the aces of the pitching staff. If Taiwan wants to do well, those 2 kids will have to pitch well and keep the scoring low. Hu(Dodgers) and Chen(Mariners) should help the IF defensively and provide a much needed boost to an anemic offense.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
World Cup Prep. - Tuesday Update....
Taiwan beat Italy 6-1, the second time around on Monday. Kuo Hui Lo DH'd, and was 1-4 with a double. Today, Cuba defeated Taiwan 8-1. Taiwan could only muster 2 hits, with Lo getting one of the hits and the only RBI. Taiwan's last tuneup game is Wed. against China.
Cuba will be the prohibitive favorite to win the tourney and defend their title. They should have the best overall talent going into World Cup play, as other nations assemble mostly minor league players as well as players from their country's respective domestic leagues/universities.
Cuba will be the prohibitive favorite to win the tourney and defend their title. They should have the best overall talent going into World Cup play, as other nations assemble mostly minor league players as well as players from their country's respective domestic leagues/universities.
Monday, August 29, 2005
Cuba crowned Youth baseball champs!!!
Cuba overcame a strong starting performance by Robert Stock, 8K's in 4 IP, to beat the US 5-0. In other action, Australia beat Japan 13-2 for the bronze. Taiwan managed to salvage 5th place by beating Mexico 12-6 behind a home run from 2B Yu-Ju Lee.
Final standings:
1)Cuba
2)USA
3)Australia
4)Japan
5)Taiwan
6)Mexico
7)Holland
8)Brazil
9)Russia
10)South Africa
11)Czechoslovakia
Final standings:
1)Cuba
2)USA
3)Australia
4)Japan
5)Taiwan
6)Mexico
7)Holland
8)Brazil
9)Russia
10)South Africa
11)Czechoslovakia
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Sunday update...The Good and the Bad
USA will be playing Cuba for the gold medal, in a battle between the only 2 unbeaten teams in the AA Youth tourney. Japan and Australia are matched up in the bronze medal game. Taiwan is playing host Mexico for 5th place, after beating Brazil 9-0 in the loser's classification bracket.
Over in Italy, Taiwan's senior NT LOST to China 3-2. I know this is a tuneup for the World Cup, but 2 losses to Italy and China does not forbode well for Taiwan's chances of medaling in the September competition when it faces much tougher competition.
Over in Italy, Taiwan's senior NT LOST to China 3-2. I know this is a tuneup for the World Cup, but 2 losses to Italy and China does not forbode well for Taiwan's chances of medaling in the September competition when it faces much tougher competition.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Tough day for Taiwan Baseball...
The senior national team for Chinese Taipei lost to the Italian NT 3-2 in 10 innings in a tuneup for the World Cup. Kuo Hui Lo had 5 plate appearances - went 0-2, with 3 walks - 1 intentional.
The good news for the team is that the reinforcements are coming - Chin-Lung Hu, Yung-Chi Chen, Po-Hsuan Keng, and Chi-Hung Cheng will be leaving their respective US minor league clubs shortly to join the rest of the team in Europe.
The good news for the team is that the reinforcements are coming - Chin-Lung Hu, Yung-Chi Chen, Po-Hsuan Keng, and Chi-Hung Cheng will be leaving their respective US minor league clubs shortly to join the rest of the team in Europe.
USA dominates Taiwan in Monterrey!!
Taiwan was outhit and outpitched by team USA at the World Youth Championships. The final score in 7 innings, was 12-1. USA will continue it's title defense by going against the winner of the Brazil-Japan game in a semi-final match up. Taiwan will play the loser of that game to help determine consolation rankings. Congrats to the US team on a dominating and impressive performance. The only team that might pose a threat to these kids is Cuba. That will be a classic matchup between two traditional powerhouses.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Quarterfinals set for World Youth Championship
USA beat Mexico 13-5 today to earn the #1 seed in Group A and will play Chinese Taipei Friday, August 26th. The matchup I was hoping to see is going to happen. I just envisioned it being in the semis or finals though. CT was beaten by Australia 5-4 and earned the #4 seed in Group B. Brazil, Australia, and Taiwan all had identical 2-2 records in preliminary play, but a run-difference ratio was used to determine rankings. Seedings for both groups are as follows:
Group A:
1)USA
2)Mexico
3)Japan
4)Netherlands
Group B:
1)Cuba
2)Brazil
3)Australia
4)Chinese Taipei
You can follow the USA-Taiwan game here on Friday. May the best team win!
Group A:
1)USA
2)Mexico
3)Japan
4)Netherlands
Group B:
1)Cuba
2)Brazil
3)Australia
4)Chinese Taipei
You can follow the USA-Taiwan game here on Friday. May the best team win!
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Chinese Taipei NT tuneup for World Cup
After it's SoCal - US tour, the senior NT has been back in Taiwan playing a number of domestic teams. In it's final tuneup for the World Cup, Team Taiwan will travel to Italy to play the national teams of Cuba, Italy, and China from August 24th thru the 31st.
On September 1st, the team will travel to Holland for the World Cup. The good news for Taiwan is that it has been grouped in a different pool from Cuba; the bad news is that Taiwan is in the same group as the US, Japan, Puerto Rico, and Australia.
On September 1st, the team will travel to Holland for the World Cup. The good news for Taiwan is that it has been grouped in a different pool from Cuba; the bad news is that Taiwan is in the same group as the US, Japan, Puerto Rico, and Australia.
World Youth Baseball Championship Update
Upon completion of all games played through 8/22/05, the current standings are:
Group A: (1)Mexico 4-0 (2)USA 3-0 (3)Japan 2-2 (4)Netherlands 1-2 (5)Russia 1-2 (6)South Africa 0-4
Group B: (1)Cuba 3-0 (2)Chinese Taipei 1-1 (3)Australia 1-1 (4)Brazil 1-1 (5)Czechoslovakia 0-3
The individual group round robin games go through today and finish tomorrow 8/24/05. The top 4 teams from each group will play each other: Group A #1 vs Group B #4, Group B #2 vs Group A #3, etc. The winners advance to the semifinals on Saturday, August 27th. The Gold medal and Bronze medal games will be played the following day 8/28/05, to conclude the tourney and crown a new world youth champion. Team USA has won the past 3 world championships. USA is off to a hot start with tremendous starting pitching. Robert Stock has been as advertised, with a dominating 15K, 1 hit, 7 inning shutout performance vs. the Netherlands. Mexico and USA will clash on Thursday to determine first place in their group, while Taiwan and Australia will duke it out on Thursday to determine the runner-up to Cuba in Group B preliminary play.
Group A: (1)Mexico 4-0 (2)USA 3-0 (3)Japan 2-2 (4)Netherlands 1-2 (5)Russia 1-2 (6)South Africa 0-4
Group B: (1)Cuba 3-0 (2)Chinese Taipei 1-1 (3)Australia 1-1 (4)Brazil 1-1 (5)Czechoslovakia 0-3
The individual group round robin games go through today and finish tomorrow 8/24/05. The top 4 teams from each group will play each other: Group A #1 vs Group B #4, Group B #2 vs Group A #3, etc. The winners advance to the semifinals on Saturday, August 27th. The Gold medal and Bronze medal games will be played the following day 8/28/05, to conclude the tourney and crown a new world youth champion. Team USA has won the past 3 world championships. USA is off to a hot start with tremendous starting pitching. Robert Stock has been as advertised, with a dominating 15K, 1 hit, 7 inning shutout performance vs. the Netherlands. Mexico and USA will clash on Thursday to determine first place in their group, while Taiwan and Australia will duke it out on Thursday to determine the runner-up to Cuba in Group B preliminary play.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
XII AA WORLD YOUTH BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
The IBAF-sanctioned championships is underway for the top 13-15 year olds in the world. Hosted in Monterrey, Mexico, the competition is split into two pools. Group A consists of: the US, Japan, Netherlands, Mexico, Russia and South Africa. Group B consists of: Australia, Brazil, Chinese Taipei, Cuba and the Czech Republic. Play began on 8/19/05 and will continue through 8/28/05. You can follow all of Team USA's action here. One interesting note for Team USA, is that the team will be led by super stud - Robert Stock, who impressed the hell out of me when he played against an older CT national team this past summer. See content that I posted on 8/6/05 for pics and comments on Robert Stock.
AAA - Junior International Baseball Tourney..
Taiwan hosted an international baseball tournament for top junior aged baseball players 15-18 that began 8/14/05 and ended today 8/20/05. Junior national teams from Japan, Australia, and Cuba competed against five teams composed of the top junior baseball players in Taiwan. Due to poor weather conditions, Japan and Ku Pau-Taiwan were declared co-champions. The bronze medal was won by Nan Ying-Taiwan. Complete game results can be found here.
CONGRATS TO TAINAN CITY, CT!!!!!!
Tainan City, Taipei won the 2005 Pony World Series over a team from San Diego 2-1 on Saturday. It was their first championship since 2000. CT was able to win on the strength of good pitching and small ball. Yao-Wen Chang, the tallest player for CT, was probably the most impressive player for the team, dominating with his pitching performances against Puerto Rico and in the championship game. Visit here for more details and pics.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Pony Baseball
Chinese Taipei has made it to the championship game of the Pony League World Series (for 13-14 year olds) The game will be broadcast on the internet this Saturday (8/20) at 1:00 pm Eastern Standard time. Click here for the broadcast link. Jia Yo Taiwan!
Hong Wen Chen
The team that will be representing Chinese Taipei at the upcoming World Cup might have one more potential pro prospect in pitcher Hong Wen Chen. Chen is the youngest of the unsigned players at 19 years old. He stands 6 feet tall even, has good size, and throws a fastball that sits around 89-91 mph. On the recent summer tour in Southern California, he was one of the few guys that stood out in my eyes(in addition to Lo). Let's see how he does in the World Cup against better competition.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Last Couple Misc. Pics of Team Taiwan (8/5/05).....
Pic of Me and John Hsu, the team trainer, translator, equipment manager, team photographer - the kid had a ton of team responsibilities. John promised me he would send me a copy of all his pics once he has some time. John is interested in coming here to the US to study at the University of Miami in FL. Anyone with UM connections, feel free to hook a brotha up! Contact me at Thetaiwaneseterror at yahoo dot com 
The dugout - post game aftermath - nothing like watermelon on a hot day!
Team Taiwan with fans - I'm in the upper right hand corner :)Sunday, August 14, 2005
Mariners, Braves, Marlins Scouting 15 year old pitcher...
Shu-Han Cheng, a 15 year old playing for a Chinese Taipei junior national team, was clocked in the low 90's while competing recently in the Enzo Civelli Tournament held in Italy. Cheng was born 12/7/89, stands 5'10'' tall and weighs 180 pounds. Keep an eye out on this kid in the next couple of years, when he becomes eligible to sign with a pro team. Chinese Taipei won the tournament with a perfect record. The other stand out player for CT was Kai-Wen Cheng. The 17 year old was the top player in the tourney playing 2 ways: hitting .520, with 2 HR's & 14 RBI's, while pitching a shutout and winning 2 complete games with an eye popping 31 K's in 16 innings.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
2005 Chinese Taipei World Cup Roster announced....
For the upcoming competition in September, Coach Yeh has decided to add a few players with US pro experience. The team will be very young, but should be competitive against their opponents.
Tentatively the roster is as follows:
Coach - Chih-Shien Yeh
Asst Coach - Jung-Tang Kung
Asst Coach - Wu-Hsiung Huang
Asst Coach - Kun-Han Lin
Asst Coach - Gilbert Rondon
There are initially 10 pitchers selected:
1)Hong-Wen Chen
2)Yi-Che Huang
3)Min-Ching Kao
4)Fu-Te Ni
5)Ying-Feng Tsai
6)Min-Hao Wang
7)Chien-Ming Chiang - YOMIURI GIANTS
8)Po-Hsuan Keng - TORONTO BLUE JAYS
9) Chi-Hung Cheng - TORONTO BLUE JAYS
10) Sung-Wei Tseng - played for the Anchorage Bucs this past summer
3 catchers:
11)Chih-Hong Chen
12)Yi-Wei Li
13)Kuan-Yi Yang
7 infielders:
14)Tsung-Han Yu
15)Chun-Yu Kuo
16) Chiang-Ho Chen
17) Yin-Chuan Lin
18)Sheng-Wei Wang - played for the Anchorage Bucs this past summer
19)Yung-Chi Chen - SEATTLE MARINERS
20)Chin-Lung Hu - LOS ANGELES DODGERS
4 outfielders:
21)Ying-Chieh Liao
22)Kuo-Hui Lo - SEATTLE MARINERS
23)Chih-Yao Chan
24)Unknown
*Players in blue demarcate those who played in the So Cal - US tour this past summer.
Tentatively the roster is as follows:
Coach - Chih-Shien Yeh
Asst Coach - Jung-Tang Kung
Asst Coach - Wu-Hsiung Huang
Asst Coach - Kun-Han Lin
Asst Coach - Gilbert Rondon
There are initially 10 pitchers selected:
1)Hong-Wen Chen
2)Yi-Che Huang
3)Min-Ching Kao
4)Fu-Te Ni
5)Ying-Feng Tsai
6)Min-Hao Wang
7)Chien-Ming Chiang - YOMIURI GIANTS
8)Po-Hsuan Keng - TORONTO BLUE JAYS
9) Chi-Hung Cheng - TORONTO BLUE JAYS
10) Sung-Wei Tseng - played for the Anchorage Bucs this past summer
3 catchers:
11)Chih-Hong Chen
12)Yi-Wei Li
13)Kuan-Yi Yang
7 infielders:
14)Tsung-Han Yu
15)Chun-Yu Kuo
16) Chiang-Ho Chen
17) Yin-Chuan Lin
18)Sheng-Wei Wang - played for the Anchorage Bucs this past summer
19)Yung-Chi Chen - SEATTLE MARINERS
20)Chin-Lung Hu - LOS ANGELES DODGERS
4 outfielders:
21)Ying-Chieh Liao
22)Kuo-Hui Lo - SEATTLE MARINERS
23)Chih-Yao Chan
24)Unknown
*Players in blue demarcate those who played in the So Cal - US tour this past summer.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Chinese Taipei Youth baseball
Someone once asked me why I have an interest in Taiwan's youth baseball program. Well, the answer is simple. Of the 13 recent players (including Kevin Huang who was let go by the Red Sox) who have come here to the US to play ball, several have had their international debuts here in the US. Here is a list of the alumni who have participated in Little League or Pony World Series championships:
1) Chen (Dodgers) - 1990 Little League World Series Champs
2) Cheng (Blue Jays) - 1996 Little League World Series Champs
3) Wu (Mariners) - 1996 Little League World Series Champs
4) Lo (Rockies) - 2000 Pony League World Series Champs
Several other players have also participated in these youth competitions and gone on to pro careers in Taiwan's domestic league as well as in Japan.
Essentially, many of these games are previews of Taiwan's future baseball stars.
For a list of Taiwanese baseball players here in the US, check out this site run by Frank. He also has a complete list of all Asian baseball players here in the US.
1) Chen (Dodgers) - 1990 Little League World Series Champs
2) Cheng (Blue Jays) - 1996 Little League World Series Champs
3) Wu (Mariners) - 1996 Little League World Series Champs
4) Lo (Rockies) - 2000 Pony League World Series Champs
Several other players have also participated in these youth competitions and gone on to pro careers in Taiwan's domestic league as well as in Japan.
Essentially, many of these games are previews of Taiwan's future baseball stars.
For a list of Taiwanese baseball players here in the US, check out this site run by Frank. He also has a complete list of all Asian baseball players here in the US.
Little League/Pony League - Chinese Taipei 2005
Well, there will be no trip to Williamsport this year for the Chinese Taipei Little League (11-12 year olds) representatives. In the qualifying Asian regional hosted in Fukuoka, Japan, Chinese Taipei tied Japan and Korea with a 3-1 record in round-robin play. However, Chinese Taipei beat Japan (4-1). Japan beat Korea (10-0). Then, Korea upset Chinese Taipei (3-1). Instead of a playoff to determine the winner, a tie-breaker system was implemented and Japan was awarded the trip to Williamsport. Talk about needing to change the system. I feel bad for the kids from Korea and Taiwan, both of whom deserved another shot at Williamsport.
In Pony baseball action (a youth baseball organization separate from Little League) , the Chinese Taipei representatives lost in the Bronco age division (11-12 year olds) in the championship game versus Puerto Rico 2-1. Game results can be found here. Chinese Taipei's roster and photo can be found here.
In the Palomino age division (17-18 year olds) of Pony baseball, Chinese Taipei lost in the semifinals to the eventual champions - Santa Clara, CA 3-2.
Chinese Taipei will have one last shot at winning a world championship in the Pony division (13-14 year olds) World Series beginning August 13th. Be sure to follow all the action here.
In Pony baseball action (a youth baseball organization separate from Little League) , the Chinese Taipei representatives lost in the Bronco age division (11-12 year olds) in the championship game versus Puerto Rico 2-1. Game results can be found here. Chinese Taipei's roster and photo can be found here.
In the Palomino age division (17-18 year olds) of Pony baseball, Chinese Taipei lost in the semifinals to the eventual champions - Santa Clara, CA 3-2.
Chinese Taipei will have one last shot at winning a world championship in the Pony division (13-14 year olds) World Series beginning August 13th. Be sure to follow all the action here.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Pic of Lo and Me!!!!!!!
This picture was taken by a fellow Chinese Taipei baseball fan who goes by Citybear.
Lo is listed as 6'2" and 182 pounds. That sounds about right, cuz I'm 5'9" and 162 pounds.
Big props to Citybear for taking this photo. For those of you interested in more pics of Friday's game, check out Citybear's pics at his site. He's got a much better camera than I have.
I'm gonna frame this baby!
Saturday, August 06, 2005
More to come...
Alright, I'm pooped out for now. I'll post more pics/stuff in the next couple of days. Till then, take care and enjoy!
8/5/05 Brewers Blue Pics
Chad Gross (37) 1B at the plate - the kid was huge, at least 6'5", quite an intimidating presence
Robert Stock (13) DH at the plate
The Brewers in Blue
Another look at Robert Stock - FUTURE STAR IN THE MAKING?
Man among boys - Devin Shepherd (33) RF
8/5/05 In game pics CT - Part III
Kuo (45) 1B at the plate 
Lin (25) 3B on deck
Chan (8) RF taking some ferocious hacks
Starting pitcher Chen (99) winding up
8/5/05 Pre-game Warm up Pics- Part II
After exchange of gifts between the two teams.....GAME ON!!!!
Rod Dedeaux (in red) with a pre-game introduction of both teams
Lo (52) practicing bunting, Chen (99) - starting pitcher in center of picture
Liao (11) - starting OF warming up 
Lin (25) IF
Starting catcher Chen (22)
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