Chin-Hui Tsao facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chin-Hui Tsao |
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Tsao pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: June 2, 1981 Guangfu, Hualien, Taiwan |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: July 25, 2003, for the Colorado Rockies | |||
| CPBL: April 25, 2009, for the Brother Elephants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| MLB: May 21, 2016, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| CPBL: October 3, 2009, for the Brother Elephants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 5–6 | ||
| Earned run average | 5.75 | ||
| Strikeouts | 67 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Chin-hui Tsao | |||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 曹錦輝 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 曹锦辉 | ||||||||||
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Chin-Hui Tsao (born June 2, 1981) is a former professional baseball pitcher from Taiwan. He was the second player from Taiwan to play in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was also the first Taiwanese pitcher to play in the MLB.
Like Chin-Feng Chen, the first Taiwanese MLB player, Tsao is a Taiwanese aborigine from the Amis group. He played for the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers in MLB. Later, he played for the Brother Elephants in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Tsao once threw a pitch at 100 miles per hour in 2005, which was the fastest by a Taiwanese pitcher.
Contents
Chin-Hui Tsao's Baseball Career
Playing for the Colorado Rockies
After finishing high school in 1999, Tsao played briefly for Taiwan Major League's Kaoping Fala. Then, the Colorado Rockies signed him in October 1999. He started his journey in the Rockies' minor league system.
In 2000, Tsao played for the Asheville Tourists. He started 24 games and had a great record of 11 wins and 8 losses. He also had a low 2.73 ERA and an amazing 187 strikeouts. He was named a Minor League All-Star and the Rockies' Minor League Player of the Year.
Tsao faced some challenges with injuries. In 2001, he had elbow surgery and missed most of the season. He returned in 2002, making 9 starts. In 2003, he started strong for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers. He had an 11–4 record with a 2.46 ERA in 18 starts.
Tsao made his big league debut for the Rockies on July 25, 2003. He pitched against the Milwaukee Brewers and earned his first win. He was the first pitcher from Taiwan to play in a Major League game. On August 18, 2003, Tsao made history again. He became the first Taiwanese player to get a hit in an MLB game.
In 2004, injuries and his commitment to the Chinese Taipei Olympic team limited his play. He appeared in 10 games as a relief pitcher. He earned his first professional save on September 29.
The Rockies planned for Tsao to be their main closer in 2005. However, he suffered two right shoulder injuries. These injuries needed surgery, which made him miss the rest of the season. He also missed all of the 2006 season while recovering. After 2006, the Rockies let him become a free agent.
Time with the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Tsao in 2007. He earned a spot in their bullpen. He pitched well at first, but then struggled with injuries again. He missed the second half of the 2007 season. After the season, he became a free agent.
Playing for the Kansas City Royals
Tsao signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals for the 2008 season. He hoped to earn a spot on their team. However, he did not make the team and started the season in Triple-A. The Royals released him in June 2008. Tsao then returned to Taiwan to play for the Chinese Taipei national baseball team in the 2008 Olympics.
Playing for the Brother Elephants
On December 31, 2008, the Brother Elephants in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) drafted Tsao. He signed with them in March 2009. In the 2009 CPBL season, Tsao had 8 wins and 8 losses. His ERA was 3.939. He was the losing pitcher in the final game of the 2009 Taiwan Series. In 2010, Tsao left the Brother Elephants, which ended his baseball career in Taiwan.
Returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers
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Tsao tried to return to professional baseball in December 2014. He signed with the Adelaide Bite in Australia. However, the Australian Baseball League suspended him.
On December 31, 2014, Tsao signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers again. He started the season with the AA Tulsa Drillers. He was then promoted to the AAA Oklahoma City Dodgers. On July 8, 2015, he was called up to the major league team. This was eight years after his last MLB appearance.
On July 10, Tsao pitched a scoreless inning against the Milwaukee Brewers. This was his first MLB game since July 14, 2007. He earned his first major league win since May 11, 2005. He was the first pitcher in over ten years to have such a long gap between MLB wins. Tsao pitched in five games for the Dodgers in 2015. He later returned to Oklahoma City.
In February 2016, he signed another minor league contract with the Dodgers. He started the season with Oklahoma City. On May 19, he was added to the Dodgers' major league roster. He appeared in two games in May. After his second game, he was placed on the disabled list due to an injury. He remained injured for the rest of the season. In November, Tsao became a free agent.
Playing for the Long Island Ducks
On February 8, 2017, Tsao signed with the Long Island Ducks. This is an independent team in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He announced his retirement from baseball on June 19, 2017.
International Baseball Career
Tsao proudly represented his country in five major international baseball events. These included the Junior World Championships (1996–1997, 1999) and the 1999 Asian Baseball Championship. He also played in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics.
In his two Olympic appearances, Tsao had a 1.93 ERA and one save. At the 1999 Asia Cup, he was outstanding. He pitched 11 innings, allowing only 3 hits and no runs. He also struck out 19 batters. In his start against China, he struck out 15 batters.
During the 2004 Olympics in Athens, his fastball was recorded at 159 kilometers per hour (99 miles per hour).
Images for kids
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Tsao pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015
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Tsao pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players from Taiwan
