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Thursday, June 29, 2006

Promotion for Chen....

Yung-Chi Chen has been promoted by the Mariners to AA. He will be joining several of his teammates from the 66ers on the San Antonio Missions roster. Read more about Chen in this article from MLB.com.

More news on Chen and Hu patrolling the infield for the World team in the upcoming Futures Game.

In other AA news, Hu was 1-5 with a run scored in his team's 4-1 win.

Wu and Lo DNP for Everett in A-ss ball.
Meanwhile, T.J. Yeh made his second appearance of the season for Lowell by pitching a scoreless 9th inning, giving up only a hit, with 0 walks and 1 K. Box

In rookie ball, the Phillies beat the Yanks in the GCL 7-2. Lin pitched a perfect 9th inning, K'ing one. Box
The Red Sox beat the Reds 4-3. Chiang DNP, while Huang started at 3B and was 0-4. Box

In Alaska, the Panners lost 5-3 tonight. Chu was 1-2 with a walk. His teammate, Lan was hitless in his lone AB. Box

Major League News:
More bad news for Tsao - Tsao's shoulder woes are serious enough that the team is ordering him to suspend all throwing until further notice. More here.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Wednesday In Review....

Japan:
Lin had a pinch hit appearance vs. Hiroshima in the 7th inning and K'd. Box

In the minors, C.S. Yang cranked his 7th HR of the year as he went 2-5 with 2 RBI's.

Majors:
Wang was matched up in a pitcher's duel vs. John Smoltz of the ATL. Wang pitched 8.0 solid innings, giving up only 2 runs on 7 hits. He was actually in line to lose the game going into the bottom of the eighth before Jason Giambi's solo shot tied it for Wang in the same inning. The Yankees eventually won the game in the 12th on A-Rod's walk-off 2 run shot. This was a big win for the Yanks, and even though Wang got a ND - he continues to earn the respect of his coach and teammates. Box/Wrap

Minors:
AA - Jacksonville won today as Hu was 0-4 with a run scored. Box
The good news is that Hu was elected to the Southern League All-Star team. 8 of his teammates will join him in the classic taking place July 10th in Alabama.

A ss - Everett lost a close game 3-2. Wu started at 1B and hit 3rd in the lineup - he was 1-4 with a RBI. Lo started in LF and hit 5th - Lo had another multi-hit game as he was 2-3 with a run scored, and stole his 7th base of the season. He was also picked off at 1B trying to steal 2nd in the 4th inning. Box

Rookie - Chiang started at 2B, and hit out of the 2 hole. His team won 3-1, as he was 0-3 with a walk and a run scored. He did commit his 1st error of the season as well. Box

Alaska:
Chu was 0-4 on Tues. night in his team's 3-0 loss. Tonight, he was 1-5 with a RBI double.

Lin took the loss on Tues. night as he started the game and lasted 4 innings, giving up 7 hits, 5 runs - 4 earned, with 1 walk and 2 K's. Box
Box

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Tuesday Recaps....

Japan:
Lin was 1-1 with a pinch hit single in the 12th inning of a 2-2 tie game for Hanshin. Box

Minors:
AA - Jacksonville lost 10-1. Hu hit out of the leadoff spot and was 1-5. He also commited his 8th error of the season. Box

A+ - The Cal League vs. Carolina Leauge All-Star Game took place tonight. Chen led off for the Cal League, and in 3 plate appearances was 0-2 with a walk and a run scored. Box Recap

A - Lansing lost 14-6 today. The Cheng and Keng pitching duo was pretty awful out there today. Cheng started the first 4 innings, allowed 4 hits (including a 2 run HR), gave up 2 earned runs, while K'ing 5 hitters, but also exhibiting poor control with 5 walks. Keng relieved Cheng in the 5th inning and didn't fare much better. Keng lasted 2 innings, gave up 6 hits (including a 2 run shot), 9 runs - 2 earned, with 2 walks and 2 K's. Keng took the loss to fall to 0-3 on the season. Box

A ss - Everett won 5-2. Wu DNP, while Lo continues to flash a hot bat. Lo was 2-3 with a RBI double, a walk, and also stole two bases (6 total on the year). Lo did get caught attempting to steal home in the 3rd inning. Box


Rookie - The Red Sox lost to the Pirates 3-1 in the GCL. Chiang DNP, while Huang started at 3B and managed to go 1-3. Box

Monday, June 26, 2006

Lo hits 1st HR of Season....

And there's many more to come! K.H. Lo was 1-5 with a 2 run shot, scored 2 runs, and also stole his 4th base of the season. He played in RF today. Everett won 9-4.
Greg Hunter, director of minor league operations for the Mariners gave his assessment of Lo:
"Lo is a guy we think is going to hit for us. He's probably a corner outfielder, but he may play some center." Read more here.

Jacksonville lost 3-2, but Hu held his own at the plate, going 2-5 with a RBI. He did, however, commit his 7th error of the season.

Alaska (6/25/06):
The Panners faced off against the Bucs in the ABL and won 10-3. Taiwanese players from both teams were involved in the outcome of the game.
For the Panners:
Chu maintained his average at .500 by going 2-4, with a RBI and 2 runs scored.
Representing the Bucs:
Cheng-Lung Luo pitched 0.1 innings of relief, gave up 2 hits (including a 3 run shot), 2 earned runs, and also walked one batter, with 0 K's.

Majors:
The Twins beat the Dodgers 8-2. Kuo relieved rookie Chad Billingsley in the 6th inning with 2 outs. Pitching 1.1 innings, Kuo gave up 2 hits which led to 2 runs scored in the 6th inning, but the runs were charged to Billingsley. Kuo then settled down in the 7th to walk a batter and also K one batter, before getting out of the inning unscathed.
Kuo remains an enigmatic talent; you never know what kind of performance you'll be getting out of the kid. However, at least he is still on the parent club - for now.





Sunday, June 25, 2006

Wang on for Wed....Seeking # 9......

TBS will broadcast Wang's next scheduled start on Wed. vs. the Braves. The game will begin at 10:00 AM Pacific. Wang will face off against future HOF John Smoltz (4-5 3.89 ERA).

Wang's catcher - Jorge Posada, continues to sing Wang's praises by saying, "He's got the best stuff on our staff. I keep saying that. He throws a 95-96 sinker, and that's tough to hit. Plus, he keeps coming at them, no matter if things aren't going well. He doesn't ever rattle."

Minors:
Jacksonville lost a rain shortened 6 inning game 2-0. Nonetheless, Hu managed to crank out 2 hits in 3 AB's. Box

Inland Empire will be off until after the All-Star break. Chen's next appearance will be in the Cal/Carolina League All-Star Game on Tuesday the 27th.

Everett won their game 8-5, as Lo finally got his bat going, with 3 hits (one double) in 5 AB's. Lo also scored 2 runs, walked, had a RBI, and stole his 3rd base of the season. Box

Alaska:
Impressive stat of the night: Through the first 9 games of the season, Chu is hitting .500 - that's 20 hits in 40 AB's, and slugging .625 without the aid of a HR this season. For the rest of the Panners stats, check here.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Mr. Chu......and Sat. Happenings....



Yuan-Chin Chu

Photos courtesy of Goldpanners.com
Well, Y.C. Chu was at it again on Friday night for the Panners. With some observers claiming that the slight OF with great speed and a lefty bat reminded them of Ichiro, Chu let none of that hype get to his head, as he managed to go 3-6 with a RBI and a run scored. The Panners won their ABL opener 16 - 3. Recap/Box/PlaybyPlay

Sat. Minors:
In AA, Jacksonville won big, 10-0. Hu broke out of a mini-slump with a 2-4 effort with a walk and 2 runs scored. Box

In A+ ball, Inland Empire won a close game 1-0. Chen continued his hot hitting ways with another 3-4 night and his 21st SB of the night. Box
Promote the kid already!

In SS-A ball, Everett won a tight game 4-2. Both Wu and Lo started for the Aquasox - Wu at DH, and Lo in LF; they were also back to back in the lineup - 5th and 6th respectively. Wu was 0-4 while Lo was 1-4 with a SB and a run scored. Box
For more coverage on Lo, check out these 2 sites that cover the Mariner farmhands exclusively:
Mariner Minors
Prospect Insider:Entry 1, Entry 2

In rookie ball, the Red Sox lost a one run game. Chiang and Lin DNP, while Huang started at 3B and got his first hit of the season. He managed to go 1-4. Box

***Updated: Y.F. Lin made his organizational debut for the Phillies in the GCL. He pitched 1 inning in relief, giving up 0 runs on 1 hit, with 1 walk and 1 K. Box

Friday, June 23, 2006

Tourney Previews......

This summer and early fall, Taiwan will be sending out a number of national teams to different competitions in different age groups. Here are a few:

Children's, Youth, and Junior aged competitions:

Taiwan will attempt to qualify for the Little League World Series in July from the 22nd to the 30th in the Asian regional located in Hong Kong. The opponents standing in their way to Williamsport will be Japan and South Korea.

Taiwan will also be participating in the Pony Baseball competitions in several age categories - Bronco, Pony, and Palomino. The Asian regional qualifying tourneys will take place in late July to early August.

Several Asian regional championships for youth aged players (under 17 years of age) will also take place in August and September. One name to remember for the future, is star 16 year old pitcher: Yi-Hao Lin. Lin has already been clocked at 92 mph. Standing 6'1", and weighing 174 pounds, this kid will be heavily scouted in the next few years.

The World Junior "AAA" championships will take place September 17th to the 27th in Cuba. Taiwan will miss having 3 of it's best players: Chiang, Huang, and Lin, all age eligible, but who can not play because they are under a professional contract with the Red Sox. Some kids who are being considered for the junior NT include: pitcher Kai-Wen Cheng, pitcher Hung-Cheng Lai, and OF Kuo-Lung Lo - the younger brother of Mariner farmhand Kuo-Hui Lo.

Adult Tourneys:
The 3rd World University Baseball Championships will take place August 6th to the 16th in Cuba.

The 16th Intercontinental Cup will kick off in November. The competition will be held in Taiwan from the 9th to the 19th.

Players for these competitions will probably include:
P Sung-Wei Tseng
P Hong-Wen Chen
P Cheng-Lung Luo
OF Chun-Yu Kuo
OF Chien-Yu Kuo
OF Chih-Yao Chan

Friday Roundup...

Well, it certainly wasn't his best performance of the season, but Wang managed to win his 8th game of the season with some help from his offense (cranking out 6 runs on 12 hits) and from some sloppy play by the Marlins defense - 3 errors committed in the first inning. Wang pitched 7 innings, was hit hard - giving up 9 hits (including a 2 run HR) and 4 earned runs. He had 0 walks and 2 K's. Box

In Japan:
Lin had a pinch hit appearance vs. Yakult in the 5th inning and struck out. Box

In the minors, C.S. Yang cranked his 6th HR of the season as he went 3-4 with a RBI.

US Minors:
Hu DNP for Jacksonville tonight.

In California, Lo and Chen faced off for the second time this season.
Again, Chen got the better of Lo as his team won 6-1.
1st inning: Chen singles off of Lo and steals 2nd base - his 2oth of the season
2nd inning: Chen doubles in a run
4th inning: Chen singles in another run
6th inning: Lo finally retires Chen on a sac-fly, but not before Chen drives in his 3rd run of the game
Lo lasted 6 innings, giving up 9 hits ( 3 to Chen), 6 runs - only 2 were earned. He walked 4 and struck out 6. Chen on the other hand, went 3-4 with a double, 3 RBI's, and a SB. Box

Keng pitched 2.0 innings of relief for Lansing. He only gave up 1 hit while K'ing 3. Box

Wu got the night off for Everett, and Lo finally got his first hit of the season. Lo was 1-3 with a double, a run scored, 2 RBI's, a walk, and had his first stolen base of the season. Box

In the GCL, the Red Sox lost to the Reds 4-1. Chiang started again at 2B and hit out of the 2 hole. He drove in his club's only RBI with a 2-4 performance on the night. Huang made his debut tonight, but only as a defensive replacement at 3B in the 9th inning. Box

***UPDATE: I missed this yesterday, but T.J. Yeh made his season debut for Lowell and was greeted rudely. He pitched 1 inning, gave up 5 hits, 4 runs - all earned with 1 walk and 0 K's. Box


In Alaska - Thursday night results:
Po-Yu Lin won his second game of the season for the Bucs. He went 7 strong innings, giving up 4 hits, 2 runs - 1 earned, with 3 walks and 6 K's. Box/PlaybyPlay

The Goldpanners lost 10-3 last night. Chu had his first hitless night of the season as he was 0-5. Shao-Bai Lan started at SS and was 1-4. Chu and Lan both committed an error in the field. Pitcher Chia-Yi Mai pitched 2.1 innings of relief and gave up 1 hit, 0 earned runs with 2 walks and a K. Box/PlaybyPlay

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Chiang's Debut...

18 year old Chih-Hsien Chiang made his professional debut in the GCL today. Chiang started at 2B and was 2-4, hitting out of the 9 hole. Lin and Huang DNP. The Red Sox lost 4-2.

Kuo-Hui Lo is still in search of his first hit of the season. He was 0-4 with a walk in Everett's 10-1 loss. He hit out of the 2 hole tonight.

Cheng started for Lansing tonight and lasted 5 innings. He gave up 4 hits, 3 earned runs, while walking 3 and K'ing 5. He earned a no-decision in Lansing's 4-3 loss.

Facing off against C.L. Lo's team, Chen went 0-4 in IE's 4-1 win tonight.

Jacksonville lost 4-2, with Hu going 0-4.

In Alaska:
Chu had the game winning hit last night vs. the Beatrice, Bruins, as the Panners won 2-1 in 10 innings. Chu also managed a 3-5 night at the plate. Box/Recap

In Japan:
C.S. Yang has been elected to represent the Nippon Ham Fighters in the minor-league all star game taking place on July 20th. The game will match representatives from Pacific League farm teams vs. Central League farm teams. Yang's bro, Y.H. Yang - representing the Hawks, will join him on the Pacific League all star team as well.



Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Wed. Night Scoreboard...

Minors:
At AA, Chin-Lung Hu finally hit his first home run of the season as his team romped to a big win 11-0. Hu was 1-5 with 3 RBI's.

In A+ ball, Inland Empire clinched the first half California League Division title last night. Following the win, 6 players from IE were promoted to AA - JUST NOT CHEN! I dunno, maybe the fact that San Antonio has 3 second basemen listed on their roster could be the reason why Chen is still in A+ ball. Still, with his sizzling first half performance, Chen has shown that it's time to move on UP!
So with the team missing a huge part of their arsenal, how did Chen do tonight? Chen was given the night off.

Oh, btw, the Jacksonville Suns also won their first half divisional title in the Southern League. Good to see both Chen and Hu doing well on tremendously talented ball clubs.

In SS-A ball, Everett won 2-0. Lo DNP, while Wu DH'd and managed a 1-3 night with a walk.

At the Rookie level, Chiang, Huang, Lin, and Lin DNP respectively for their teams.

Majors:
Kuo made another appearance tonight against the Mariners and had a much better showing this time around. Pitching the last 1.2 innings, Kuo walked 2 batters - one was intentional, but he also K'd 3 hitters. Box

*UPDATED





Hu and Chen named to the 2006 All-Star Futures Game



Following in the footsteps of Chin-Feng Chen, Chin-Hui Tsao, and Chien-Ming Wang, infielders Chin-Lung Hu and Yung-Chi Chen have been named to the 2006 World roster. C.F. Chen was named to the World squad in 1999 and 2000. C.H. Tsao was on the roster in 2000 and 2003, while Wang joined Tsao on the 2003 roster. The game will take place July 9th in Pittsburgh's PNC park. The game should be broadcast on cable (probably ESPN) - I'll have specifics when the time nears.

Around the majors:
Bad news regarding Tsao. MLB.com is reporting that Tsao has experienced a setback in which he can only throw a session every 6 or 7 days (without pain-discomfort). The ETA for Tsao's return has been pushed back - Tsao himself was hoping for a return to the Bigs by his birthday - June 2.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Kuo sealin' his fate....

Ok, after tonight's performance, there is little doubt that when Izturis returns, Kuo will be back to Las Vegas for some more seasoning. Kuo faced 3 batters in the 7th inning vs. the Mariners and failed to record an out. He walked Ichiro and Beltre, before giving up a RBI single to Ibanez. Kuo was then relieved by Broxton, who later allowed Beltre to score. Kuo was officially charged with 2 earned runs in 0.0 innings. Wrap

Meanwhile, Wang will look to bounce back from his heartbreaking loss to the Nationals, when he opens for the Yanks on Friday against the Florida Marlins. He will face Briah Moehler (5-5 6.29 ERA).

Minors:
Jacksonville lost 3-2, despite getting only 2 team hits the entire game. Hu managed to get one of the hits - a double, the only extra base hit for the Suns in 4 AB's. He also scored a run.

Inland Empire was on the winning end of a slug fest 16-10. Chen had a huge night, as he went 4-6 with a double, 3 RBI's and a run scored. Chen is now back atop the BA race in the CAL league with a .335 average.

In Everett, the Taiwanese duo of Wu and Lo played together. Everett won 4-2, with Wu leading the way. Wu started at catcher (he did allow a passed ball), and was the cleanup hitter for the Aquasox tonight. At the plate he was 3-4 with a double and a run scored. LF Lo is still in search of his first hit of the season as he was 0-3.

Huang and Chiang DNP for the GCL Red Sox today. The Sox lost 12-1 to the Pirates today.
Pitcher Wang-Yi Lin is now listed on the GCL Red Sox roster as well.
These 3 kids will get a chance to face another fellow Taiwanese pitcher some time this season. Yen-Feng Lin is listed on the GCL Phillies roster.

Alaska:
Luo won his first game of the season for the Bucs on Monday. He went 5 strong scoreless innings, throwing a one-hitter. Box

Meanwhile, the Panners got smacked down tonight in a non-league game 12-0. The starting pitcher, Cheng-Hsien Wu lasted 4.1 innings, giving up 6 hits, 3 runs - 1 earned, with 2 walks and 4 K's. Yuan-Chin Chu continues to rake, as he went 2-3 with a walk.
You know the funny thing is that I just realized that Y.C. Chu was on the touring C.T. NT this past summer in Los Angeles. From what I recall, he didn't get much playing time, and would ocassionally get a pinch-hit AB here and there. It's good to see him doing well.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Monday Recaps...

Hu went 0-4 with 2 K's and committed his 6th error of the season. Box

Chen went 1-4 with a run scored. Chen also committed an error - his 8th of the season. Box

K.H. Lo made his US debut tonight. In 3 plate appearances he showed a keen eye, by going 0-1 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored. Box



Soxprospects.com has 18 year old IF's Chiang and Huang listed on the rookie class Gulf Coast Red Sox roster. The GC Red Sox season begins June 20th.

Lin's 2 HR's on Youtube....

Saw this over at JapanBaseballDaily - a Youtube video of Lin's 2 HR's hit this past Sat. vs. Orix.

Let the Season Begin!!!


Lo after hitting a HR

photo courtesy of Niki Desautels of The Herald

Playing in an exhibition game on Sunday in a tuneup for tonight, the Everett Aquasox rocked their opponent 15-3 on Sunday. The Sox's opponent was a semi-pro team - the Everett Merchants. Lo was 2-4 in the game with a triple, a HR, and 2 RBI's. Read more here.

Lo is slated to hit 6th in the lineup tonight in the season opener vs. the Tri-City Dust Devils and is starting in LF. No sign of Wu though. Box
Follow the game action here.
Go Lo!!!



In Alaska(Results from 6/18/06):
Yuan-Chin Chu continues to rake - as he was 1-3 with a RBI double. RF Shao-Bai Lan made his debut for the Goldpanners, but K'd in both AB's. Box/PlaybyPlay

Cheng-Lung Luo pitched a scoreless inning in relief for the Bucs. Box/PlaybyPlay

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Tough Loss for Wang....

Knowing that the NYY bullpen was out of commission for this one, Joe Torre made the decision to ride Wang as far as he could go. Unfortunately for Wang and the Yankees, it was one inning too long. With a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, Wang got the leadoff hitter to ground out. The next hitter singled, before Ryan Zimmerman's heroics - a walk-off 2 run shot, won the game for the Nationals. Before the 9th, Wang had been spectacular, holding the Nationals to 4 hits and 1 run through the first 8 innings. Despite the loss, Wang lowered his ERA to 4.07. Wang took the loss pretty hard. Read more here. Box

Keep your chin up bro, there's brighter days ahead.


Meanwhile, Kuo getting some media love - read more here.

Minors:
Not too much going on, but Chen managed a hit in 5 AB's in his team's 6-3 loss.


Alaska:
The Goldpanners lost their first game of the season on Sat. night. Taiwanese pitcher Chia-Yi Mai took the loss. OF Yuan-Chin Chu continues to tear the cover off the ball. He was 3-4.
Recap/Box/PlaybyPlay

In Japan:
Lin started in RF for Hanshin, but unfortunately was 0-3 in the game. Box

Class A - Short Season:
Don't forget, Kuo-Hui Lo makes his debut tomorrow for the Everett Aquasox - ss affiliate of the Mariners.
T.J. Yeh's team - the Lowell Spinners of the NY-Penn League will start the season on Tuesday - Chien-Ming Wang is an alum of the NY-Penn League - he played with the Staten Island Yankees in 2000 and 2002.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Sat. News....

In Japan, after getting recalled by the parent club, Tigers OF W.C. Lin made his bid for more PT. Filling in for Shane Spencer, Lin played in RF and cranked 2 HR's - his first two of the season - today! Lin was 2-4 and drove in 4 runs. That was the difference in the game as Hanshin won 5-1 over Orix.

US Minors:
Hu went 1-4 in his team's 1-0 loss.

Chen went 0-3 with 2 walks, a RBI, and a run scored. He was also caught stealing in his team's 4-3 win.

Lansing lost to South Bend 4-2, but Keng managed to pitch 3 scoreless innings in relief.


Alaska:
Chu continued his multi-hitting ways in Friday's 6-0 win for the Goldpanners. Read more here.
Box/PlaybyPlay
More on Chu:
Member of the 2004 junior NT - was voted "All-Star" OF at the 2004 World Baseball Championships - had highest BA on his team, including teammate - BoSox signee Chih-Hsien Chiang. Stats from 2004 World Championships.
Member of the 2005 senior NT - faced off against former USC and NYY first-round pick Ian Kennedy. Read more here.





Wang on for Father's Day...

Wang is scheduled to start tomorrow in the series finale vs. the Washington Nationals. He will face off against lefty Michael O'Connor (3-4 3.70 ERA).


Last night:
Majors:
Kuo pitched in relief against the A's and stuggled again....he pitched 1.2 innings, giving up 4 hits and 2 runs. He did K 3 though. Box
There is talk that when Izturis returns, Kuo may get sent back to Las Vegas.

Minors:
Hu has been struggling at the plate. Last night he went 0-5 with 4K's. Box

Chen had another great night hitting. He hit his 5th HR of the season and was 2-4 with a double, a walk, a RBI, and 2 runs scored. Box

Cheng won his 6th game of the season last night. He gave up 2 runs in 5 innings, with 3 K's. Box


ABL:

The Goldpanners won Thurs. night. Chu hit well, although his teammate, P Wu struggled. Read more here.

Po-Yu Lin took the loss vs Lake Erie in the ABL on Thursday night. He went 4 innings, giving up 1 earned run and had 5 K's. Box/PlaybyPlay




Thursday, June 15, 2006

Thursday Night Highlights....

Japan:
Hsu started his second game for Seibu and got rocked - he gave up 5 runs in 5 innings - 4 of the runs came via 3 HR's hit against Hsu. Hsu took his second loss of the season, but on the brighter side of things, he did manage to K 4 hitters. Box

US:
Hu DNP for Jacksonville tonight.

Chen managed a 1-4 night with a walk and a run scored. Box


Over in Alaska, OF Yuan-Chin Chu led the GoldPanners offense Wed. night with a great start at the plate and in the outfield. Read more here.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Taiwanese Gold Diggers....


Photo courtesy of goldpanners.com

PIC of the 4 Taiwanese kids with the Alaska Goldpanners

Kuo in line for 4th loss....

Kuo pitched the 8th inning against the Padres and only lasted 0.1 innings, giving up 1 hit and 2 runs, via 1 walk and 1 K. Those are the first runs given up by Kuo since being recalled from Vegas. Box

Minors:
Hu was 0-5 on the night. Box

Chen is currently 0-2 with 2 walks and a run scored. Box Game Log

Japan:
The only good news on the night is that the Yomiuri Giants recalled Chien-Ming Chiang. Chiang pitched one scoreless inning in relief. Box

Lucky # 7!

Chien-Ming Wang was in control on the mound tonight against the Cleveland Indians. Throwing a heavy sinker, Wang won his 7th game of the season in a tight pitching duel with Paul Byrd. Pitching 7 1/3 shutout innings, Wang got some help from fellow second year-player Robinson Cano - who hit a solo shot in the 6th inning. That was the difference in the game, as the Yankees won 1-0, ending a 4 game losing streak.

Box
Recap

Minor League Recaps:
Hu was 0-3 on the night for Jacksonville. He did manage a walk, but he was also caught stealing, and committed 2 errors on the night. Box

Chen continued his hot streak by going 2-5 at the plate with a walk and run scored in his team's extra inning loss. Box

Lo started for Modesto and was hit pretty hard - lasting 5 innings, giving up 8 hits and 5 runs. He was not involved in the decision. Box

Keng pitched an inning in relief for Lansing vs. Wisconsin. He K'd 1 and allowed a hit. Box

- Wisconsin demoted Chao-Kuan Wu to the Everett Aquasox - the short season affiliate for the Mariners. Hopefully Wu will get more PT there. Also, it will be interesting to see if he is reunited with his fellow countrymen - maybe Lo or Huang? The roster for Everett hasn't been announced yet, but the season gets underway this weekend!
***UPDATED - per Mariner Minors through the Herald, Kuo-Hui Lo is confirmed to be on the Everett Aquasox roster.

In the ABL, Luo pitched well in his second appearance on Monday. He pitched 4 scoreless innings, giving up a hit, 0 runs, and K'ing 5.


Monday, June 12, 2006

Pipeline to Alaska....

P Sung-Wei Tseng and IF Sheng-Wei Wang got a good jump start here. Both players participated last year in the Alaska Baseball League with the Anchorage Bucs. In fact, you could say that Tseng used his time spent in Alaska (he was All-ABL in 2005) to help springboard himself to the top of the amateur list in Taiwan. Following in their footsteps are two young Taiwanese pitchers:
Po-Yu Lin: RHP 6'1" 215 pounds 19 years old - DOB:9/16/86
& Cheng-Luong Luo: LHP 5'11" 170 pounds 19 years old - DOB:3/7/87

Lin was the ace of the 2004 junior NT. At the time he was clocked at a high of 92 mph. He went 1-1 in the tourney with his loss coming to the US 2-1. Check the rest of his stats from 2004 here.

Luo was one of the better pitchers on the 2005 junior NT. He had an outstanding performance in Taiwan's 2006 spring amateur tourney.

The 2006 Bucs played on Saturday, and Po-Yu Lin was dominant, going 5 innings, giving up 1 earned run, and K'ing 9. He earned his first win of the season.

Luo pitched 1 inning on Friday in a relief role and gave up 2 hits, 1 run, and 2 walks, with 0 K's.


Four other collegiate Taiwanese players
will be joining the Alaska GoldPanners, also in the Alaska Baseball League.
The 4 players are:
1)RHP Chia-Yi Mia
2)RHP Chen-Hsien Wu
3)SS Shao-Bai Lan
4)OF Yuan-Chin Chu

CAL LEAGUE NEWS:
Yung-Chi Chen was selected to the Cal-league All Star team and will represent IE at 2B. *UPDATED and EDITED

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Wang vs. Indians Tuesday....

The Yankees got swept this past weekend by the A's. With injuries to key players, inconsistent pitching, and the offense hitting poorly, the Yanks will look to Wang to stop the bleeding on Tuesday, when the Yanks open against the Cleveland Indians. Wang is set to face off against Paul Byrd, who is 5-4, with a 5.15 ERA on the season. Read more here.

Sunday Minors:
Jacksonville won 7-0, but Hu was 0-3 with a walk, a run scored, and a SB (#9 on the season).

Chen was 2-4 with a double and walk, but his team fell 5-3.

Lansing beat Wisconsin 7-4. Wu got some PT at catcher, but was 0-4 at the plate.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Lights out Kuo!

Since his recall in June, Kuo has been lights out for the Dodgers. Pitching against the Colorado Rockies tonight, Kuo K'd the side in the 7th inning. Box

Compare Kuo's numbers with the parent club before and after his demotion:
Before:
10 appearances - 0 wins - 3 losses - 0 saves - 5.54 ERA - 13 IP - 10 K's - 15 walks
After:
4 appearances - 0 wins - 0 losses - 0 saves - 0.00 ERA - 4.2 IP - 8 K's - 0 walks

Even though Kuo's short stint in Las Vegas wasn't overly impressive, he obviously worked on one thing: commanding his fastball and just rearing back and throwing strikes.

MINOR LEAGUE 'CAPS:
Hu went 1-4 with a RBI as Jacksonville won 6-2.

Inland Empire lost 1-0 in a pitcher's duel. IE was held to only 3 hits in the game. Chen had 2 of those hits in 4 AB's. Chen was caught stealing for the 6th time this season.

Lansing and Wisconsin faced off today, but Wu DNP. Cheng started for his club and pitched well - going 6 innings, allowing 2 runs with 7K's and 2 walks. Despite Lansing winning 4-2, Cheng had a no-decision.

Friday, June 09, 2006

Friday Night Highlights....

Couldn't find a recap for this, but Ming-Chieh Hsu started his first game in a long time for the Seibu Lions on Thursday. He took the loss, as his team lost 5-1 to the Yakult Swallows.

Friday Minors:
Despite only going 1-4 Friday night, Hu was instrumental in Jacksonvilles' 4-2 win. Hu broke a 2-2 tie in the 7th with a clutch 2-out RBI double, and then later scored an insurance run that inning. Box

Chen had a nice game for Inland Empire, going 2-4 with 2 doubles and a run scored. Box

Keng pitched in Lansing's loss tonight. He went 3 innings, giving up 2 hits, 1 run, and had 1 K. Box

Wu finally made an appearance for Wisconsin Friday night. Playing catcher, he was charged with 1 passed ball, and managed to go 1-4 on the night. Box

Thursday, June 08, 2006

More on Tang....

Here's a nicely written article on Tang. It sounds as if it's only a matter of time before a MLB organization signs him.

Thurs. Minor League Action:
Hu's on fire.....going 2-4 with 2 runs scored and a RBI. Better yet, his team won. Box

Lo pitched well enough to win for Modesto. But the defense behind him and the relief pitching let him down. Lo lasted 6 innings, giving up 7 hits, 5 runs - of which only 3 were earned, and K'd 5 batters while walking 2. He earned a no-decision. Box

Last I checked, Chen was 1-4 on the night with a RBI, a run scored, and 1 walk. Box


The MWL selected it's all-stars recently. Cheng and Keng from Lansing were NOT selected.

*UPDATED

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Tang and Wed. Updates...

Chao-Ting Tang represented himself well tonight against some of the top US high school talent in the country. Playing for the West squad in the All-American game (using wood bats), Tang was the leadoff hitter and starting LF for his squad. Batting lefty, in Tang's 4 plate appearances:
1) He walked in the first inning on 5 pitches
2) He singled in the 3rd inning against Braves first round-supplemental pick LHP Steven Evarts, stole second, and eventually came around to score that inning
3) He K'd in the 5th inning
4) He had a groundout RBI against Braves first round-supplemental pick RHP Cory Rasmus in the 7th inning


In the limited action from tonight, I liked what I saw from Tang. Tang is a good athlete, with above average speed, a good bat, and is solid defensively. At the plate, Tang appeared extremely comfortable and confident - showing a pretty good eye, making solid contact with a compact swing.

Defensively, Tang flashed a great arm in LF as he threw out a runner trying to score from second at the plate in the second inning.

I timed him around 4.1 seconds trying to leg out a single in the 7th, even with a slight hesitation coming out of the batter's box. Tang held his own and definitely showed that he belongs in this star studded event. Let's see if Tang's performance tonight translates into some cha-ching$$$ in the near future.

Major League Action:
Kuo pitched 1.1 hitless/scoreless innings, striking out 2 Mets. Box


Minor League Action:
Hu raised his average to .290 with a 1-2 effort at the plate with a double, a run scored, and 2 walks. Box

Chen is back on track as he went 3-5 at the plate with a RBI and a run scored. Box

Wisconsin played a doubleheader today and Wu was a DNP in both games!! Man, give the kid some AB's!

*UPDATED

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Game Day Recaps...

In the US:
Hu got the night off for Jacksonville.

Chen had another hitless evening: 0-4 on the night. Box

Over in Japan, Wei-Chu Lin was demoted to Hanshin's minor league team. Might be better for him, because he wasn't getting many AB's (24 in 25 games played) with the parent team.

#6 ON 6-6-06!


WANG WINS # 6!

MELKY SAVING THE GAME FOR WANG
- ROBBING RAMIREZ OF A HR


Wang pitched a helluva game tonight against the Red Sox. Despite not having his best stuff, Wang pitched 7 strong innings, giving up only 8 hits, 1 run - on a solo shot by Big Papi, with 2 walks and 2 K's. Of the 8 hits, 7 were singles, and the only extra base hit given up was Ortiz's HR. Wang's strong start was backed by great defense - he got 2 DP's behind him, and OF Melky Cabrera saved Wang's win when he robbed Manny Ramirez of a HR in the 8th inning in the above picture. Awesome catch!
Talk about getting the monkey off his back - this was Wang's first win against the Red Sox in 5 regular season starts.
Box
Recap


Monday, June 05, 2006

Kuo Impressive....

Pitching in relief of starter Brett Tomko, Kuo went 1.2 innings against the NY Mets, giving up 1 hit and striking out 3. Kuo's 3 K's included perennial all-star Carlos Delgado and stud 3B David Wright. If Kuo can continue to command his fastball, he should have many more nights like he had tonight. Box Recap

TSAO UPDATE:
MLB.com is reporting that after some minor setbacks, Tsao is now back on track in his rehab. Read more here.

Minors:
Hu's hitting streak continued as he went 2-3 at the plate with 2 RBI's, a run scored, and his 8th SB of the season. Box

Chen was hitless in 4 AB's. His BA for the season still stands at .324. Box

Cheng took his 4th loss of the season in a 5.1 inning outing against South Bend. Cheng gave up 6 hits, 4 runs - all earned, and also walked 3 batters. He did manage 4 K's. After an impressive start to the season, both Cheng and Keng have been faltering a bit as of late.
Box

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Sunday Highlights...

A day after getting called up, Kuo came on in relief in the 8th inning against the Phillies. The box score had Kuo pitching a scoreless and hitless 2/3 of an inning. In reality, Kuo faced 3 batters, hitting the first one, giving up an infield hit to the second batter - scoring an inherited runner in the process, and then induced a double-play ball to the last batter. Regarding the hit allowed by Kuo, not too sure which is correct, the box or the play-by-play. Box Play-by-Play

In the minors:
Hu was 1-5 with a run scored. Box

Inland Empire lost 9-8 in 10 innings, but not because of the superb effort shown by Chen tonight. Chen was 3-4 at the plate, cracking his 3rd HR of the season, and also drove in 4 runs. In addition, Chen scored a run, had a walk, and also stole his 19th base of the season. Box

Keng pitched 2 innings of relief work, giving up 1 hit, walking one batter, and striking out 2. Box

Wang and Kuo Updates....

Kuo was recalled by the Dodgers last night. Read more here.

Wang made a surprise appearance last night for the Yanks and picked up the first save of his career. Box/Recap
Read more here.

Saturday Scores...

Over in Japan, Lin managed to walk in his pinch hit plate appearance. Box

US Minors:
Hu's been hot of late. He went 3-5 with 2 doubles, and scored 3 runs. Box

Chen cracked a single in 3 AB's and also walked. Box

Wu DH'd for Wisconsin and unfortunately went 0-3. He did have 2 walks and a RBI. Box

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Chao-Ting Tang.....


CHAO-TING TANG
photo courtesy of http://www.baseballtaiwan.net/

Alright, we, the people in the US will get an opportunity to see what this kid is all about on Wed. - June 7th at 6:00 PM Pacific on Fox Sports News. Tang, a Taiwanese high school outfielder, was recently selected to participate in the HS All-American Game. This article, published today, declares Tang to be the top prep player in Taiwan. Well, I'm sure Chih-Hsien Chiang and Chih-Hsiang Huang, Tang's more heralded HS and junior NT teammates, might disagree.
However, you can't debate the fact that Tang was voted the top LF in the 2005 Asian Junior Baseball Championships. He stands 5'11", weighs in at 176 pounds, bats lefty and throws righty.
If you ask me, this is a great opportunity for Tang to get some serious exposure in the US scouting circles.

Friday Results....

In the NPB:
Lin finally got a hit in another pinch hit appearance for the Hanshin Tigers. Lin singled in the 7th inning.
In that same game, Yang pitched the 9th inning for the Softbank Hawks, giving up 3 hits and a run. He had 1 K.
Final score: Hanshin 4 - SoftBank 0
Box

In the US:
Hu managed a 1-5 night with a run scored for Jacksonville. Box

Chen singled in 4 AB's for Inland Empire. Box

Wu finally got his bat going as he cracked the .200 mark on the season, by going 3-5 tonight with a RBI and 2 runs scored. Playing catcher, Wu also allowed a passed ball. Box


Chien-Ming Wang's next start is scheduled for Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox. Wang may catch a break this time around, as he is supposed to face off against rookie David Pauley, who is replacing the injured David Wells in the rotation. In 2 starts against the BoSox this season, Wang has struggled, going 0-1, pitching no more than 6.0 innings and with an ERA in excess of 4.50. Let's hope that the third time around's the charm for Wang.

Friday, June 02, 2006

Card of the Month - "The Orient Express" 1991 BBM

Okay, I'm going a little retro here, but despite all of Chien-Ming Wang's recent success with the Yankees, Tai-Yuan Kuo is still the greatest Taiwanese pitcher of all time. Kuo succeeded at the highest level in Japan, winning 117 games over a 13 season career with the Seibu Lions. Armed with a 97+ mph fastball, Kuo was the NPB MVP in 1991. In his prime, Kuo was the hardest-thrower in all of Asia. He could have been the first Taiwanese Major Leaguer had he chose to sign with the Blue Jays instead of the Lions. Read more here.

No Decision...

Damn, Wang was cruising through the first 3 innings and was even spotted a 5 run lead, before the wheels fell off the train. Facing off against the Tigers, Wang went 4+ innings - demonstrating some control issues ( he walked 3 batters ), before being pulled by Torre. EPSN commentator, Orel Hershiser noted that Wang was having some difficulty with his mechanics, leading to his sinker flattening out. Wang was clocked between 92 to 94 mph on his fastball. His counterpart - Justin Verlander was throwing some serious cheese! The kid was clocked consistently at 98 mph and even hit 100 once!! Great fastball, poor command of his secondary pitches. Both starting pitchers received a no decision. A disappointing loss for the Yankees. Box/Recap

Minors:
Kuo pitched 2/3 of an inning, facing 3 batters. He gave up a hit, a run, and had a K. Box

Hu has been flashing a hot bat lately. Hu was 3-5 at the plate tonight, with a double and 2 runs scored. Hu has been outstanding in the field as well. He committed only his 3rd error of the season tonight. Box

Chen managed to go 1-4 tonight. He picked up a RBI, scored a run, and also stole his 18th base of the season. Box

Lo took his second loss of the season. Despite striking out a season-high 7 batters in 7 innings, he also gave up 10 hits, 6 runs - all earned, and had 2 walks. Box

Keng also lost tonight, as he blew a save opportunity. Keng pitched the 8th and 9th innings, and was hit hard - giving up 6 hits and 4 runs - all earned. Keng did manage 3 K's. Box

Thursday, June 01, 2006

ESPN JINX?

Well, the Yanks/Tigers June 1st matchup will be shown on ESPN at 4:00 Pacific. Maybe it's a coincidence, but Wang's had a tough go on ESPN lately. Hopefully the bad karma stops today.

NPB Thurs. News:
Lin got a pinch hit appearance for Hanshin and flied out. Box

In the NPB minors, Yang hit his 3rd HR of the season for Fighters nigun team.

US Thurs. News:
Hu was 0-5 for Jacksonville. Box

Chen had a good night at the plate, going 2-3 with a triple, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBI's. He did commit his 6th error of the season though. Box

Lansing won 2-1 in the second game of a doubleheader. Cheng started the second game and pitched well. He went 6 innings, giving up 1 earned run and had 6K's vs. 1 walk. He came away with a no decision. Box