Targeting # 6....

Wang will start for the Yankees on Thursday in the series finale against the Detroit Tigers. In a battle between AL divisional leaders, Wang will face the "statistical" ace of the Tigers staff - rookie Justin Verlander. In 10 appearances this season, Justin is 7-3 with a 2.55 ERA, and has won his last 4 starts in impressive fashion - giving up only 4 earned runs in 30.1 innings of work. Wang is 2-0 lifetime against Detroit. Something's gotta give........should be a good one!

In da Minors:
Kuo faced 3 batters in the 9th inning, giving up a single and K'ing the next 2 hitters before being relieved. Vegas lost 3-0. Box

Hu was 2-5 with a run scored in a losing effort as Jacksonville lost 8-6. Box

In a pitching duel, Inland Empire lost 2-1 to Visalia. Chen managed to get one of IE's 6 hits in 4 AB's. Chen also committed his 5th error of the season - which helped lead to Visalia scoring 2 unearned runs in the 5th. That was the difference in the game - tough loss. Box

Kuo's K's...

Kuo was back to his K'ing ways, as he made a brief appearance for Las Vegas tonight - 1 inning - 1 hit, 2 K's. Box

Jacksonville won 10-4 as Hu managed a 1-5 night with a run scored, a RBI, and his 7th SB of the season. Box

Keng pitched 2 hitless/scoreless innings for Lansing and picked up his first save of the season. Box

Wu's BA now stands at .180 after tonight's loss to Burlington. Wu was 0-3 and played at 1B. Box

Sunday Happenings....

US Minors:
In AA action, Hu went 2-2 at the plate, with a double and run scored in Jacksonville's 4-2 win. Box

At the A+ level, Inland Empire powered to a 12-2 win. Chen was 2-5 with a double, a RBI, a run scored, and stole his 17th base of the season. Box

I missed this yesterday, but minorleaguebaseball.com didn't have the boxscore for one of Sat.'s twin billings between Modesto and San Jose. On Sat., Ching-Lung Lo won his 5th game of the season for Modesto. Read more here.

Interesting news at the A level of ball. Things got so bad for Wisconsin today (they lost 19-5), that Chao-Kuan Wu was called upon to PITCH for them. Wu, who's hitting way below the Mendoza line, had a decent performance on the mound. Pitching 1 inning, he gave up 2 hits and 1 run, with 1 walk and 0 K's. Box

In Japan:
Yang pitched to 1 batter in the 7th inning, giving up a double and an earned run. Softbank lost to Chunichi 9-1. Box

Hsu pitched well for Seibu, going 4 strong innings, giving up only 2 hits, 0 runs, with 2 K's and 1 walk. Hsu was not involved in the decision. Box

Wang Wins # 5!

Well, as expected, Wang won his 5th game of the season against the hapless K.C. Royals. Granted the Royals won last night at the Yanks, but tonight, the Yanks offense was something to behold. The Yanks supported Wang with 15 runs on 15 hits, while Wang gave up 4 runs - all earned in 7.0 innings of work. Wang did manage to K 3 hitters.
At this rate, barring no injuries and assuming Wang can hold on to his spot in the rotation, I'll predict that Wang wins 16 games this season.
Game Box/Recap

Minor League Action:
Jacksonville eeked out a 1-0 win over the Huntsville Stars. Hu went 1-4. Box

Chen got back on track as he went 2-5 DH'ing for Inland Empire. Box

Wang on the Hill Tomorrow.....

Wang will try to redeem himself tomorrow against the KC Royals - the worst team in baseball. Wang is set to face Jeremy Affeldt (2-4 6.51 ERA). Ok, I'll go out on a limb here and pick Wang to win his 5th game of the season. ;)

US Minors:
Jacksonville won 6-4. Hu went 1-3 with a walk and a run scored. Box

Inland Empire obliterated it's opponent 20-7. Damn, when did football season begin? Anyways, Chen went 2-6 with 2 RBI's, a run scored, but was also caught trying to steal 2nd base in the 2nd inning. Box

Cheng started for Lansing and lasted 3 innings. He gave up 4 hits, 2 runs with 3 K's and 2 walks. Lansing won 5-3, but Cheng was not eligible for a decision. Box

Thursday Recaps...

In the NPB:
Lin K'd in his pinch hit appearance Thursday. Box

Hsu pitched 2 innings for Seibu and gave up 2 runs - 1 earned with 2 K's. Box

In the US:
Hu went 1-3 with a walk. Jacksonville won 5-2. Box

Chen went 1-4 in Inland Empire's win Thurs. night. Box

Wu went 0-3 with a walk and an error, while playing 1B for Wisconsin. Box

Lansing won, but Keng almost gave it away as he gave up 3 runs in the last 2 innings - 2 on a HR. Box

Da Bulls Win!!!

The Fubon Bulls were crowned champs of the 2006 Taiwanese men's amateur spring tournament.
The Bulls beat the Taiwan Electric Company by a score of 5-2. The winning pitcher for the Bulls was Cheng-Lung Luo, who went 5 1/3 innings, giving up 6 hits, 2 runs, and had 7 K's.

Tourney Selections:
Batting Crown: Yi-Chuan Lin (TEC)
HR & RBI Champ: Chang-En Huang (TEC)
MVPitcher: Sung-Wei Tseng (FB)

In the US minors:
Kuo was hit hard as he only lasted 1+ innings for Vegas. Kuo gave up 2 hits, 2 walk, 2 earned runs, and a HR all in his short stint. Box

Hu went 2-4 for Jacksonville with 1 run scored; he was also caught trying to steal 2nd base. Box

Chen managed to go 1-5 with a RBI for Inland Empire. Box

Tuesday Scores...

IN THE MINORS:
Hu went 0-5 for Jacksonville. Box

Chen got the night off for Inland Empire.

Wu DNP for Wisconsin.

IN THE NPB:
Yang pitched the bottom 2/3 of the 9th inning for the Hawks and faced 2 batters, walking one. Box

Wang Hammered, Takes 2nd Loss on the Season....

Wang went 6 plus innings against the Red Sox and gave up 9 hits, 7 earned runs - 2 via a HR by Manny Ramirez. Box/Recap Read more here. The ESPN jinx continues to haunt Wang.

In the minors, Lo bounced back from his last disasterous start to win his 4th game of the season for Modesto. Lo pitched a scoreless 7 innings, giving up only 5 hits, while walking 4 and K'ing 2. Box

Chen's min-slump continued as he went 0-2, with 2 walks and a RBI. His team won 5-3. Box

In Taiwan, the men's amateur spring tourney will match up the 2 best teams tomorrow - the 23rd. The Fubon Bulls will play the Taiwan Electric Company for the championship. Both teams feature great prospects.

The Fubon Bulls roster includes:
1)P Sung-Wei Tseng - A WBC NT selection, he has been clocked at 94 mph this spring. He won today's semifinal matchup against Fu Jen University, by pitching a complete game 1-hit shutout, in which he K'd 10 batters with 0 walks. Top pitcher in the tourney with 55 K's in 55.2 IP, an ERA of 0.49, and a record of 5 W - O L. Has been scouted by teams from the NPB
2)P Cheng-Lung Luo - Former 2005 junior NT member, is only 19 years old and throws lefty. Luo was 4-0 with a 0.60 ERA and 33K's in 30 IP.
3)OF Chih-Yao Chan - Another WBC NT selection, had the top BA in the tourney, hitting .451 in 51 AB's with 9 SB's. I had the pleasure of watching him this past summer, and the kid has a good all around game - solid in all areas. Lack of power might be the only knock on him.
4)IF Sheng-Wei Wang - In 2005, played with Tseng in Alaska. He hit .386 with 8 SB's in 70 AB's.

The Taiwan Electric Company team includes:
1)Chang-En Huang - Hit .358 with a league-leading 6 HR's and 27 RBI. He did strike out 15 times in 81 AB's though.
2)Yi-Chuan Lin - Was second in the league with a .449 BA, had 2 HR's and 21 RBI's in 78 AB's.
Impressive stat: K/BB ratio - 7/16
3)Wei-Han Wu - In 55 AB's, hit .418 with 2 HR's and 14 RBI's.

Lin vs. Chen

In CPBL action, the CPBL's top concensus pitcher En-Yu Lin faced off against the most potent lineup in the CPBL - the LA New Bears. Lin came out victorious while throwing a complete game shutout as the Cobras blanked the Bears 4-0. Facing off against the league's highest paid player and former Dodger, Lin K'd Chen twice. Lin was clocked at a high of 92 mph. Read more here.

In other CPBL news, Tai-Shan Chang has set the career HR record as he hit his 11th dinger of the season. Read more here.

Yanks - BoSox on ESPN Monday....

Wang's start on Monday vs. divisional rival Boston will be televised at 4:00 pm Pacific. Wang's last ESPN appearance was also against the Red Sox in which he only lasted 5 innings and received a no-decision. Let's hope he has a better showing this time around.

Sunday NPB scores:
Lin pinch hit in the 5th inning and flied out as his team won 5-3 over the Buffaloes. Box

Hsu pitched the 5th inning for Seibu and gave up 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, and had 1 K. Seibu lost to the Yokohama BayStars. Box

US minor league action:
Kuo pitched 2/3 of the 8th inning for Vegas and stuggled, giving up 3 hits, 1 HR, and 1 earned run.
Box

Hu went 1-4 for Jacksonville and committed only his 2nd error of the season. Box

Inland Empire won a close game 5-4, but Chen was held hitless again. Chen went 0-3 with a walk and a run scored. Box

Lansing won 11-8, but starting pitcher Cheng stuggled in his 4 innings of work. Despite only giving up 3 hits, Cheng walked 5 batters, allowed 3 earned runs and received a no decision. Keng pitched in relief, going 2 innings, giving up only 1 hit while striking out 2 batters. Box

Game Results....

Sat. NPB results:
Yang faced 1 batter, walked him, and was then pulled. Yang's Hawks were demolished by the Yakult Swallows. Box

Sat. minor league results:
Hu went 2-4 at the plate, with a walk and a run scored. His team lost 4-3. Box

Chen had another hitless night. He was 0-5. Box

Wu went 1-3 with a sacrifice, but was also caught attempting to steal his first base of the season. Box

Cheng will start tomorrow for Lansing against Fort Wayne.

Friday Night Lights....

A handful of minor leaguers in action Friday:
In Jacksonville, Hu went 1-5 as his team lost 4-3 in extra innings. Box

Chen's 66ers also lost by a 4-3 score. Even though Chen was 2-5 at the plate and stole his 16 base on the season, he was thrown out trying to steal home in the 1st inning - that was costly for his team. Box


Chien-Ming Wang will face off against Red Sox ace Curt Schilling on Monday. Should be a great challenge for Wang.

Yang Promoted.....

Yao-Hsun Yang was activated by the Softbank Hawks on Wed. Yang, a LHP, made his pro debut in Wed's game vs. the Yomiuri Giants. He pitched to one hitter in the 8th inning. Box

In Thursday's NPB action, Lin made a pinch hit appearance for the Tigers in the 7th inning and grounded out. Box

MLB.com is reporting that Chin-Hui Tsao has been throwing bullpen sessions. Despite good individual sessions, Tsao's recovery afterwards hasn't been going well. For more read here.

Minor League Action:
The Jacksonville Sun's offense broke out in a huge way. In a 19 hit attack, the Suns won 13-2. Hu also had a huge night as he went 4-6 with 2 doubles and 3 runs. Box

Inland Empire also won tonight, as Chen was 1-3 with a walk. However, Chen was picked off at first base and was caught stealing 2nd in the same sequence. Box

Keng finally got some innings, as he pitched 1 scoreless inning for Lansing tonight. He had 1 K.
Box

I've added a few new links: JapanBaseballDaily.com is a great English language resource for game recaps and news on what's going on in the NPB.
Also, 2006 Japanese Professional Baseball, recaps games as well as gives boxscores for games in the NPB.

Wang Wins 3rd in a Row....

The month of May has been good to Wang: 4 starts - 3 wins and 1 no decision, along with a 2.67 ERA. Wed's game vs. the Rangers was no exception. Wang went 8 innings, giving up 3 runs - 2 earned on 6 hits to win his 4th game on the season. Again, Wang pitched well through the first 7 innings, although some defensive miscues did cost Wang a run in the 4th. In the 8th, Wang began to fatigue as he gave up a double and then a HR before finishing the inning by getting 2 more ground outs. Rivera closed out the game for Wang in the 9th and the Yanks won a close game 4-3, one night after staging a huge comeback in a wild shootout 14-13.

Game Recap

In an article written recently on Wang, there is an interesting quote from Wang: " I don't think of myself really as a star. I'm just a pitcher. There are a lot of better ballplayers back in Taiwan."
Wow, Wang is being super modest here, but I can't think of one single ball player still in Taiwan who has the cajones or talent to match Wang. I wonder who Wang was referring to (maybe Chin-Feng Chen)?
Despite all the hype that Chin-Hui Tsao and Hong-Chih Kuo received, Wang has quietly become the best pitcher in all of Taiwan. With all 3 suffering serious injuries at some point in their careers, it is refreshing to see Wang and Kuo - to a lesser extent, do well.
Mariner scout Jamey Storvick was right on the money about Wang when he wrote this article 6 years ago.

In the minors, Hu got the night off for Jacksonville.

Another rare hitless night for Chen in A+ ball. Chen was 0-4, but did manage to steal his 15th base on the season. Box

Lo took his 1st loss of the season for Modesto. Lo pitched 5.2 innings, giving up 10 hits - 1 HR, 6 runs - all earned, with 3 walks and one K. Box

Wu went 0-2 in a rain shortened game. Playing catcher, Wu also allowed 3 stolen bases. Box

Updated 5-17-06

Wang Set to Go Tomorrow....

Wang will start for the Yanks on Wed. against the Ranger's Kameron Loe. Read more on the matchup here.

In the NPB, Lin made an appearance as a pinch runner and scored the winning run in the 12th inning for the Tigers. Box

Hsu pitched 2 innings for Seibu, giving up 2 hits, 2 runs - 1 earned via a HR allowed, and also K'd one. Box

In the minors, Hu went 1-6 at the plate with a triple and a RBI as his team lost in a shootout. Box

Inland Empire was shutout 2-0, but Chen managed to go 1-3 with a walk. Box
With his smoldering start at Inland Empire, carried over from a good showing at the WBC, Chen is finally starting to receive some recognition. An AL scout gave his take on Chen's abilities:
"He's a fun guy to watch. I'm not sure how his power is going to develop, but he's got enough for second base. He can run and field, too.
He's got some physical tools. He's a little bit like (Tadahito) Iguchi in Chicago, if you replace his speed with a little more power. Chen is a good ballplayer and when he shoots one in the gaps, he can really run."

Cheng took his 3rd loss on the season in a tough pitcher's duel to Burlington's Carlos Rosa. Cheng pitched 6 innings, giving up 3 hits - one being a HR and 2 earned runs. Chen K'd 8 and walked 1 in the game. Box

Monday Updates....

The Dodger prospects represented themselves well tonight.
In AAA, Kuo pitched 2.0 innings in helping to preserve a 4-3 lead for Vegas. Kuo gave up 0 hits, 1 walk, and had 3 K's. Box
Hu went 2-3 with 2 walks, a run scored, and stole his 6th base on the season, as his team won 4-0. Box

After failing to get a hit last night, Chen redeemed himself in a big way with a 3-5 night at the plate, with 2 runs scored, and a RBI. Box

Wu went 0-3 in a 7 inning loss to Dayton. Box

CHUNG-SHOU YANG UPDATE:
Through 5/14/06, Yang has played in 26 games while improving his average to .316 with 2 HR's and 8 RBI's on the season. Yang has settled in at the 3 spot in the lineup for the Fighter's nigun team.

Where Have you Gone......Player Updates.......

There's been some pretty damned good players that the Taiwanese senior and junior NT has produced over the years.

The most successful ones, we hear about all the time and are probably playing overseas in the US or Japan.
Then there are those players who shine brightly on the world stage, only to see their star fade into oblivion. I'll review some of the lesser known players who have burst into the spotlight in the past 10 years or so.

FORMER JUNIOR NT PLAYERS:
First kid: Sheng-An Kuo
Kuo was a member of the 2000 Pony League World Series Champs. Kuo was a key 2 way player who starred along with teammate Ching-Lung Lo. Kuo's manager at the time, Hsi-Chien Chang, gave Kuo the ultimate compliment when he said that Kuo was a legitimate MLB prospect - as a pitcher. Chang's credibility came from the fact that he had also coached Hong-Chih Kuo and Chien-Ming Wang when they were youngsters.

Moving forward one year, Kuo's teammate Lo is signed for a $1.4 million signing bonus by the Colorado Rockies. Kuo continues to play domestically in high school and is selected to the 2001 youth NT and then later the junior NT in 2004.
Today: Kuo plays for Dahan College in Taiwan's men's amateur senior circuit. Kuo's stats through the 5th week of the 2006 Men's Spring Tourney: 0 Wins - 2 Losses, 6.05 ERA, 19.1 IP, 4 K's, 7 walks, 13 ER allowed.

Second kid: Chen-Nan Lee
Lee is a member of the prospect packed 2001 junior NT. However in 2001, Lee is the brightest star of a class that includes: Ching-Lung Lo, Chi-Hung Cheng, Yung-Chi Chen, Ching-Lung Hu, Yao-Hsiung Yang - guys who will eventually sign to play in the US or Japan. In the 2001 Asian Youth Baseball Championships, Lee is the starter in the championship game versus arch-rival Japan. Lee pitches a complete game 2 hit shutout to wrap up Taiwan's first ever championship in this event. A 2 way player, Lee leads the Asian Junior Championships in RBI's, HR's, and ERA.

The following year, Lee is elected to the junior NT again, this time on the world stage. Lee helps lead his team to a silver medal, falling to Cuba in the gold medal game. Lee hits .310, with 1 HR and 5 RBI's, while also pitching 7 innings against top competition. From that team, Chao-Kuan Wu is signed by the Mariners, Ching-Lung Hu is signed by the Dodgers, Wei-Yin Chen is signed by the Chunichi Dragons, and Po-Hsuan Keng is signed by the Blue Jays. Despite his good showing the past 2 years internationally, Lee is not signed.

Today, the 21 year old is playing strictly as a pitcher for the MeiFu Giants on the Men's senior amateur circuit. Through the 5th week of the 2006 spring tourney, Lee was 0-1 with a 4.26 ERA in 6.1 IP with 7 K's, 4 walks, and 3 ER given up.


Third and Fourth Kids: Shen-Fu Tsai & Hsin-Tsung Wu
Tsai is a member of the 2003 youth NT that wins a silver medal on the world stage, losing only to the US in the gold medal game. Tsai cracks 3 home runs in that tourney and is the feared slugger on that team. Tsai's teammate - Chih-Hsien Chiang is the other star positional player for CT. Wu, who was armed with a 90 mph fastball at the time, is also a member of the 2003 youth NT. During that tourney, he is the winning pitcher for CT against youth power house Cuba and along with Tsai, is a physically imposing player - standing around 6'3".

Fast forward to today: Chiang is widely considered Taiwan's best high school hitting prospect and is signed by the Boston Red Sox in 2006 for a hefty $375 K signing bonus. Tsai, who is considered too lazy and slow by scouts, is currently playing for Kai Nan College on the men's amateur circuit. The 18 year old is doing well - hitting .400 with 10 hits in 25 AB's with 2 RBI's and only 3 K's in the 2006 spring tourney. Wu on the other hand, suffered from arm injuries and is still in the process of regaining arm strength. Wu is currently pitching for the Taiwan Electric Company on the men's amateur circuit. Through 5 weeks, Wu is 1-0 with a 3.63 ERA, and 13K's/14 walks in 22.1 IP in 2006 spring play.

FORMER SENIOR NT MEMBER:
* Chang-Wei Tu - At one time was considered to be the best amateur pitching prospect on the island. Tu leads the men's NT to the 2003 National Baseball Congress World Series Championship. A finesse pitcher, Tu was voted the MVP of the tourney. Despite all the hype he gathered from his success in the 2003 NBC games, Tu was not signed by any overseas teams. Tu did manage to make the 2004 Olympic roster for CT. After the Olympic Games, the ChinaTrust Whales drafted Tu with their top pick in 2005. In his rookie year, Tu went 3-4 with a 3.00 ERA. In 69 IP, he had 34 K's. This year - 2006, Tu is struggling with a 4.46 ERA and a 1-2 record through 5/15/06.

More on the Shidax signings....

Thanks to Frank, the 2 kids who were signed by Shidax are P Chia-Jen Lo and OF Chien-Yu Kuo. Read more here.

Lo recently turned 20 years old (DOB: 4/7/86). He stands 5'10" and weighs 160 pounds. The righty was selected to the 2004 Taiwanese Junior NT. His stats for the 2004 World Junior Championships can be found here. Recent BoSox signee Chih-Hsien Chiang was Lo's teammate that year. Currently Lo is playing for the MeiFu Giants in the men's amateur spring 2006 tourney. Lo has pitched in 4 games, completing 5 innings, giving up 5 hits, an earned run, with 4 K's and 1 walk. His ERA was 1.40 through the first 5 weeks.

Chien-Yu Kuo is a 21 year old (DOB: 9/24/84) OF with a storied amateur career. Kuo was elected to the 2002 Taiwanese Junior NT and performed extremely well on a prospect laden team. Kuo's teammates on the 2002 junior NT included: Ching-Lung Hu of the Dodgers, Chao-Kuan Wu of the Mariners, Wei-Yin Chen of the Dragons, Po-Hsuan Keng of the Blue Jays, and current amateur pitching standout - Sung-Wei Tseng. During the 2002 World Junior Championships, Kuo hit over .400 (.406), tied for the team lead in HR's (4 - with Hu), and was second on the team with 10 RBI's. Click here for more of Kuo's 2002 World Junior stats.

I think that this is great exposure for these kids and will give them a better opportunity to get scouted by the NPB.

The Streak Ends....

Yung-Chi Chen's 18 game hitting streak came to an end Sunday. It was the longest hitting streak in the Cal League this season. Chen went 0-4 with 2 RBI's in today's game. Box

Hu also went 0-4 for Jacksonville today. Box

Sunday action in the NPB: Hsu pitched 0.2 innings for Seibu, giving up 1 hit, 0 runs, with 1 walk and 1 K. Box

I didn't know this, but JapanBaseballDaily.com is reporting that the Shidax Industrial League baseball team has signed a Taiwanese pitcher: Ra Kajin. The Shidax team also has a Taiwanese OF: Kenyu Kaku. Does anyone know what these 2 guys' names are in Chinese?

Cal League - Redux with Chen?

Well, it's early in the season, but another Chen is at or near the top in several categories in the California League. Back in '99, Chin-Feng Chen was also playing in the California League - with the San Bernardino Stampede - now known as the Inland Empire 66ers. Chen went on to win the MVP of the league that year. Fast forward to 2006, Yung-Chi Chen is quietly tearing things up with the Inland Empire 66ers. As of 5/12/06, Chen was in the league's top 2 in BA (.356), runs scored (26), and stolen bases (14). Tonight, Chen was 1-4 with a double, 2 runs scored, a sac-fly RBI that ended up winning the game for his team, but also committed his 4th error on the year. Box

Hu finally put together back to back impressive performances at the plate. Hu was 3-5 with 2 runs scored and a sacrifice. Hu scored a key run in the 11th that helped his team to win 6-5 in extra innings. Box

Wu got in some PT as a catcher for Wisconsin in one game of a doubleheader. Wu K'd twice in 2 AB's. Box

King of the Hill....

Well, as you all might know by now, Chien-Ming Wang had his best performance on the young season against the A's yesterday. Wang pitched 8 innings, giving up 3 hits - all singles, 0 runs, with 2 walks and 0 K's. The key to Wang's success was his consistent sinker - getting multiple ground ball and double play outs, as well as some great defense behind him. Wang's performance received rave reviews from opponents and teammates alike:
"He's one of the toughest pitchers we've faced this year. He's got so much movement on his fastball." - A's 2B and leadoff man Mark Ellis
"Wang was the star of the day. He threw the ball incredibly; the best he's thrown all year." - Alex Rodriguez
"It was a great pitching performance." - Johnny Damon

Box
Recap 1
Recap 2
More

In the NPB, Lin went 0-1 in Friday's game and was 0-3 in Sat's game - OMG, He actually started!!!

In Friday minor league action, Kuo pitched 1.2 innings of relief for Vegas, giving up 2 hits, a walk, 0 runs, and had 2 K's. Box

Hu finally got his bat going for Jacksonville as he had his first multi-hit game in a long time. Hu was 2-4 with 2 doubles and a walk. Box

Chen is smoking hot for the 66ers. He was 2-4 with a walk, 2 runs scored, and stole his 13th and 14th bases on the season. Box

Faceoff....

"Dragon" Lo faced off against Y.C. Chen's IE 66ers tonight. Lo had his second impressive performance in as many starts. Despite leaving the game after the 5th inning, Lo had a 4-2 lead. His reliever blew the lead and Lo was credited with a no-decision. As for the two former junior national teammates, the matchup went down like this:
1)Chen singled in the 1st inning off Lo and ended up scoring later in the inning
2)In the 3rd inning, Chen reached base on an error
3)In Lo's last inning, Chen singled and stole 2nd base off of him

It looks like Chen got the better of Lo tonight; however Lo pitched well enough to win the game.
Lo's final stats: 5 IP, 2 R - 1 ER, 6 hits, 2 walks, 2 K's.
Chen's numbers: 2-4 with a walk, a run scored, and his 12th SB on the season.
Box

In AA, Jacksonville lost 4-3 in extra innings. Hu went 1-5 with 2 K's. Box

Tomorrow's game against the A's just got that much harder for Wang with news outta NY that Matsui fractured his wrist tonight and will be out of action for several months. No Sheff, No Matsui - someone will have to pick up the slack for all of that firepower lost.

Today's News.....

Over in Taiwan, Chin-Feng Chen was back in action. Chen had been out ~ 2 weeks with an abdominal strain injury. Chen went 2-4 in his return with 2 SB's. NEWS

In Japan, Hsu pitched his 3rd game in 4 days. Hsu faced off against Yakult again and fared better. He pitched the last 2 innings, giving up only 1 hit - a solo HR, while K'ing 2. Box

Meanwhile in MLB news, Chien-Ming Wang is scheduled to face off against Barry Zito of the A's in the opener of the home series for the Yanks on Friday. Wang faced off against the A's earlier this year and received a no decision. This will be a tough matchup for Wang.

In the minors, Kuo pitched to one hitter in the 8th inning and got the batter to fly out. Box

In Jacksonville, Hu went 1-2 with a walk and a sacrifice. Box

Yung-Chi Chen continues to swing a hot bat for Inland Empire. Despite his team's loss in extra innings, Chen was 2-5 at the plate with a double, a RBI, and a walk. Chen was caught trying to steal a base in the first inning, but later redeemed himself by stealing his 11th base of the season in the top of the 9th inning. Box

Minor League Hi/Lo-lights.....

Despite going 0-4 in today's game down in Jacksonville, Hu did manage to score 2 runs and had a walk. Hu's offensive woes aren't as bad as they seem. Sure, a .230 BA is nothing to be proud of, but when you closely scrutinize Hu's stats, Hu is only K'ing once in every 6 AB's. Also he's managed a good walk to K ratio of 19 / 20. With that being said, Hu's ticket to the big leagues isn't his bat; it's his glove. Kim Ng, Dodgers VP and Assistant GM, is obviously a big Hu fan. She was quoted today as saying that "Hu and Abreu could be the best double-play combination in the Minor Leagues today."

In A+ ball, Inland Empire and Modesto are facing off. In all likelihood, we will see Yung-Chi Chen face off against Ching-Lung Lo in the next few days. As for today's game, Chen was able to keep his hitting streak alive. After starting off 0-3, Chen doubled in his last at bat, stole his 10th base on the season, and scored an insurance run for IE. Box

In A ball, Wu was 0-3 in his team's 4-2 win. Wu played defensively behind the plate tonight.

Cheng, seeking his 6th win on the season, got a big reality check tonight. Cheng got rocked for 6 earned runs in 4 innings. Cheng took the loss despite K'ing 5 and walking none. Box

UPDATED Below:
Kuo pitched in Vegas tonight. Kuo came in the top of the 8th inning with the game in hand - Vegas was up 11-7 at that point. Recap of the 8th inning:
1) First batter reached first on fielding error by 1B
2) The next batter doubled, advancing lead runner to 3rd
3) The third batter walked
-Kuo is in pretty deep sh*t at this point - Bases are loaded
4) Kuo then settles down and K's the next 2 guys
5) With the bases full, Kuo walks the next batter, plating an unearned run - see 1)
6) Kuo is pulled from the game for Lance Carter
7) Lance Carter gives up a grand salami to the first hitter he faces - Kuo is charged with 4 runs, none of them earned
8) Game over - Vegas swallows a tough loss after blowing a sizable lead

Kuo's line for the night: .2 IP / 1 HIT allowed / 4 RUNS allowed - 0 earned /2 WALKS / 2 K's

Hmmm, sound familiar? What happened tonight to Kuo was like deja vu during his brief outings in LA - demonstrating command issues and having the ball taken out of his control only to have the guy relieving him, not bail him out.

In Japan, Hsu pitched again, this time against the Yakult Swallows. Hsu didn't fare much better this time around either. He went 2 innings, gave up 3 earned runs - on a 3 run shot, and saw his ERA balloon to 11.25. Box

Lin had a pinch hit appearance against the Lotte Marines and flied out in the 8th inning. Box

Slow night....

Hu was the only man in action tonight. His Jacksonville Suns won 9-1. Hu went 1-4 with a walk, a RBI, and 2 runs scored.

Cheng will be in action for Lansing tomorrow. He puts his 5-1 record and 1.84 ERA on the line against Kane County.

Wang Wins # 2 and the Return of the "Shoe"

Wang won his second game of the season over the Texas Rangers. Wang pitched 6 innings, giving up 3 earned runs on 7 hits. Wang pitched well until the 6th inning when he got tagged for 3 hits and 2 runs. Despite his troubles in the 6th, the Yanks offense was able to spot Wang a comfortable lead throughout the game. Read here for game recap and here for box score.

Ming-Chieh Hsu pitched in his first NPB game of the season. Hsu, who only appeared in 4 games in all of 2005 for the Seibu Lions while recovering from a shoulder injury, had been performing well for the Lion's ni-gun team this year. Hsu pitched 2 innings against the Hawks and gave up 2 earned runs on 4 hits. Box

In AAA, Kuo picked up his first save for Vegas as he went 1.1 innings and K'd 1. Box

In AA, Hu's team got blanked 11-0. Despite going 1-4 with a walk, Hu actually improved his average to .237. Box

At the A+ level, Chen continued his hot hitting streak by going 2-5 with a RBI. Box

Clutch Performances.....

In AA action, Hu went 1-5 at the plate with a run scored. Box

At the A+ level, Chen continues to swing a hot bat. Not only did Chen go 2-4 at the plate, but he also came up with a clutch single that plated 2 runners and broke a 2-2 tie. Chen also collected his 9th stolen base on the season. Box

In A ball, Wu was the hero tonight for his ballclub. Wu smacked a 2-out RBI triple to plate the winning run for Wisconsin. Wu played at 1B tonight and was 2-5 with a double and a triple. Box

CPBL Roundup...

I usually don't cover too much on the CPBL, but thought that this would be a good time to run down on how some of the notables are doing over there.

First of all, team standings through 5/5/06
1)Bears 14-10
2)Bulls 12-12
3)Elephants 12-12
4)Whales 12-12
5)Cobras 10-12
6)Lions 10-12

All in all, pretty even competition in the first half of the season.

Now for a brief round-up of notables (through 5/5/06):

BEARS:
Chin-Feng Chen .338 5 HR's 12 RBI's - currently out with abdominal strain
Chih-Sheng Lin .256 2 HR's 14 RBI's

BULLS:
Tai-Shan Chang .364 8 HR's 20 RBI's
Chien-Fu Yang 2W-2L 4.66 ERA 38.2 IP/28 K's

ELEPHANTS:
Chih-Yuan Chen .239 2 HR's 10 RBI's

COBRAS:
Chia-Hsien Hsieh .247 6 HR's 19 RBI's
En-Yu Lin 3W-2L 1.47 ERA 43 IP/40 K's

LIONS:
Wei-Lun Pan 4W-2L 2.21 ERA 53 IP/36 K's

For more coverage of the CPBL in English check out these links:
JapaneseBaseball.com - Around Asia MSG Forum
TaiwaneseBallPlayers.com - Discussion Forum
TaiwanNewsOnline
TaipeiTimes

5/5/06 Recap....

The Hanshin Tigers won 13-11 in a 22 hit parade by the Tigers hitters. However, W.C. Lin only managed a pinch hit appearance in the 8th inning and K'd. Lin is hitting .357 on the season (5-14) with 3 RBI's, not too shabby when you consider the fact that he's only getting 1 AB a game. Box

In the US, Chin-Lung Hu was 0-4 in Jacksonville's extra innings loss. He did walk twice and stole his 5th base on the season. Hu is hitting .238 on the season with 0 HR's and 3 RBI's. Box

In A+ ball, Ching-Lung Lo easily had his best performance on the young season. Lo pitched 7 innings, gave up 1 earned run on 4 hits (solo HR given up in the 7th inning), with 4 K's and only 1 walk. More impressively, Lo was able to emulate Chien-Ming Wang's ability to keep the ball on the ground. Lo had 13 ground outs vs only 3 fly outs, and of course the 1 home run. Lo is now 3-0 on the season with a 4.50 ERA. In 30 IP, Lo also has 15 K's/7 walks/and given up 3 HR's. Box

Yung-Chi Chen continues his hot hitting ways in A+ ball. Through 8 innings, Chen is 2-4 with a triple and 2 RBI's. Chen's RBI triple was key in breaking a tie. Chen also stole his 7th base on the season. On the young season, Chen is hitting .333 with 2 HR's and 15 RBI's.
Box Game Log

Finally, Chao-Kuan Wu got another opportunity to play an entire game as he was behind the plate for Wisconsin. Wu was 1-4 with a run scored; despite allowing a passed ball, he also threw out a runner trying to steal 2nd base. For the season, in limited action, Wu is hitting .216 in 37 AB's with 0 HR's and 6 RBI's. Box

5/4/06 Recap...

Chien-Ming Wang will pitch on Sunday for the Yanks against the Texas Rangers. His opponent on the mound will be Robinson Tejada (1-0, 3.60 ERA)

In Jacksonville, Hu went 1-4 with a walk. Box

IE's Chen also went 1-4 in his team's loss. Box

Wed. Night Recaps...

After an auspicious start in Las Vegas, Kuo was credited with his first win in a relief role. Kuo pitched a perfect 8th inning and K'd the side. Box

Inland Empire rapped out 23 hits as a team, however Chen was only 1-6 at the plate. Chen did plate 3 runners with a double. Box

In Japan, Lin pinch hit in the 7th inning and K'd. Box

Card of the Month: W.C. Lin 2003 BBM

Did You Know? Lin was a member of the 1991 Little League World Series Champs from TaiChung, Taiwan. Lin also hit a grandslam in the championship game.

FYI, I picked up this card from Prestige Collectibles for a reasonable price. Prestige sells mostly Japanese baseball cards - so any Taiwanese player who's been in the NPB probably has a card.

TNT coming to the US....

The Taiwanese NT will be here in the US in July (4th to the 12th). The NT will play the US NT along the Atlantic Coast - in RI, SC, and NC. Check schedule here.

Minor League updates: Hu went 0-5 in his team's loss. Box

Chen went 2-4 with 2 key runs and a stolen base in his team's 4-3 win. Box

Cheng won his 5th game on the season by giving up 1 earned run (via a solo HR) in 5 innings pitched. Box

Tough Day.....

Wang faced off against the Sox and didn't have his best stuff tonight. With problems locating his pitch in the first inning, Wang was lucky to get out of the inning with only one run being given up. A defensive gem by Bubba Crosby saved Wang 2 runs in that first inning. In between the first and fifth innings, Wang pitched better, getting ahead in the count on most of the hitters. In the 5th inning, the Sox got to Wang for 2 more runs. Bottom Line: 5 innings pitched, 4 batters walked, 0 K's, 3 earned runs - a no decision for Wang. Wang was clocked between 90 to 95 mph on his fastball. Box

As reported earlier by Anony and Frank, Kuo was demoted by the Dodgers to AAA - not surprising, considering Kuo's struggles with his command of late. Article on Kuo's demotion.
Speaking of Kuo, his command struggles continued at AAA today. Kuo pitched 1 inning, gave up 2 walks, and an earned run. Of the 10 pitches Kuo threw, only 2 were strikes. Box

In Japan, Lin K'd in his only pinch hit appearance in the 8th inning. Box

In AA, Hu went 1-6 at the plate. Box Article by the JacksonSun on Hu

In A+ ball, Chen went 2-5 at the plate with a double and a run scored. Box

In A ball, Keng took his first loss of the season in a 7 inning game. Again control was an issue for Keng. Box

Wu went 0-3 with a RBI for Wisconsin in a 7 inning game. Box