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.
2 comments:
i thought wu is a catcher?
who are the 13? i've got chen, tsao, wang, and kuo in the majors, and y.c. chen, c.a. huang, c.k. wu with the mariners, cheng and keng with the blue jays, and hu with the dodgers. that's 10. who are the other 3?
Prior to being signed by the Mariners, Wu was an infielder - 1B in high school and on the junior national team. When the starting catcher went down with an injury in the 2002 World Junior Championships, Wu filled in admirably as the catcher.
The Mariners originally drafted Wu with the intention on converting him into a full time catcher; but with the signing of Jeff Clement, Wu's future as a ML catcher with the Mariners organization is kinda in the air. Clement is only one year older than Wu.
Also, coach Lin of the CT national team would probably not allow a signal caller so young to call the game. Lin will probably go with a more veteran catcher from the CPBL. Therefore, Wu might have a better shot at making the team as an IF.
The 3 kids you missed are C.L. Lo of the Rockies, Y.F. Lin of the Phillies, and K.H. Lo of the Mariners.
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