Rockies look for lift from Tsao
By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News
July 25, 2003
LOS ANGELES - When Chin-hui Tsao made his spring training exhibition debut
with the Colorado Rockies in March 2000 at the age of 18, it was such a big
deal in his native Taiwan that the 11-pitch, one-inning effort was televised
live to the Asian island.
Tonight, Tsao does it for real.
The Rockies wrapped up a West Coast struggle with a 1-0, 11-inning loss to the
Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, their sixth loss in an eight-game trip that
began in San Francisco and left the Rockies below .500 (52-53) and a
season-worst 14 ? games behind the first-place Giants in the National League
West.
They return home tonight for a three-day respite from a schedule that has
them playing 14 of their first 17 post-All-Star break games on the road, and
with the added hype of the 22-year-old Tsao becoming the first Taiwanese
pitcher and only the second Taiwanese player to appear in a big-league game.
The game will be televised to Taiwan.
Even though Tsao's appearance wasn't announced until Wednesday, 15 members of
the Taiwan media have requested credentials. The Rockies are expecting a
bigger than normal local media turnout.
About the only people who don't seem overhyped are Tsao's teammates.
"I'm excited to see another young guy come up from our system," said manager
Clint Hurdle. "I'm curious to see the fan reaction, but he is going to have to
figure (the media) out on his own. If he pitches well, it will help. If he
doesn't, he won't have to worry because the extra media won't be around. I
hope he continues to have the opportunity to deal with (the media)."
Tsao is among the organization's elite prospects, the latest in what is
becoming an impressive group of home-grown pitchers that includes 2002 NL
Rookie of the Year Jason Jennings and 2003 NL All-Star Shawn Chacon. The
latter showed against the Dodgers on Thursday that there is no lingering
problems with the elbow stiffness that forced him on the disabled list and
caused him to withdraw from an All-Star appearance.
Chacon allowed three singles in seven shutout innings against the Dodgers,
matching Dodger right-hander Kevin Brown in a game that was decided when
Shawn Green singled to center with one out in the bottom of the 11th off
Rockies reliever Javier Lopez, scoring Alex Cora, who led off the inning with
a single.
It was 27 months ago that Chacon made his big-league debut, an emergency
start when Mike Hampton developed a stiff neck, and a bit of a big event at
Coors Field because Chacon was a local hero, having graduated from Greeley
Central High School.
"I've been there," Chacon said of the big-league debut, "so it's intriguing to m
e. I hope he does well. He's been a top prospect in the organization and now
he's going to get his opportunity."
Nobody had a debut like Jennings, who in August of 2001 against the New York
Mets in Shea Stadium became the only player in history to debut by pitching a
shutout and hitting a home run.
"It's probably a little more emotional for him, being the first Taiwanese
pitcher, but I know how he's going to feel," said Jennings. "He's been the
best prospect in the system for a while, and he's worked his way up to have
the opportunity. I hope he matches me. That'd be a win for us and a heck of
a memory for him.
"He just has to go out and pitch. He'll be fine. He's proven in spring
training he can get big-league hitters out."
Even at 18, he did that. In that inning against Seattle, he struck out both
Carlos Guillen and John Mabry on three pitches, and got Stan Javier to fly
out on a 3-1 pitch.
He did undergo reconstructive elbow surgery two years ago, and has been
bothered by a recurring blister on his right index finger this season.
But this year at Class AA Tulsa he is 11-4 with a 2.46 earned-run average. He
pitched a shutout inning in the Futures Game, held in conjunction with the
All-Star Game and featuring the top prospects in baseball. Because of that
appearance he has started only one game for Tulsa in the past 18 days.
"He's ready," said minor league director Bill Geivett. "He's gotten over his
health concerns. Plus the Futures Game helped. He got a little extra rest,
which was a nice break for him heading into this."
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