'Composed' Tsao finds right number
By Irv Moss, Denver Post Sports Writer
Todd Helton handled the situation as well as he does a Gold Glove-caliber play
in the infield. "If I go to Taiwan to play, I'll wear No. 71," Helton said
Saturday.
Helton, who wears No. 17, said that less than 24 hours after Chin-Hui Tsao
became the first Taiwanese player to pitch in a major-league game.
Now, it can be told why Tsao wore uniform No. 71 when he pitched Friday night
against the Milwaukee Brewers. Tsao's favorite number is 17, but Helton has
that number pretty well locked up.
Tsao also was the diplomat.
"No, actually I love the number I have right now," Tsao said through
interpreter Ming Harber.
"He knew he couldn't have No. 17, so they turned it around," Harber said.
That was the idea of Rockies clubhouse and equipment manager Dan "Chico"
McGinn.
"I told him he could change the number if he didn't like it," McGinn said.
"But he says he wants to keep it."
But Tsao's uniform number wasn't the main topic of conversation Saturday
before the Rockies played the second game of a three-game series against the
Brewers at Coors Field.
There was more talk about the numbers Tsao put up in a 6 1/3-inning stay
against the Brewers that earned him his first major-league victory as the
Rockies won 7-3. Tsao allowed eight hits, including home runs by former
Rockies Eric Young and John Vander Wal, and one walk while striking out five.
"I saw a lot of promise," Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. "First
major-league start, second pitch of the game a home run (by Young) ... It
might have been the ballgame right there for a lot of young men. He stayed
very composed, and I think that's a word we're hearing a lot today in this
clubhouse. He was able to bounce back from that adversity."
Apodaca was impressed with Tsao's savvy.
"When he got in trouble, he changed speeds," Apodaca said. "That's something
you learn to do. Instead of going harder, he went softer. He's far from the
finished product, but that's what pitchers (learn) who know how to pitch."
Tsao threw first-pitch strikes to 17 of the 28 batters he faced.
"It can be better than that," Apodaca said. "For the most part, I'm pretty
pleased with what I saw."
Tsao looked at his first big-league effort a little less critically than when
he gave himself a postgame grade of C.
"He thinks B-minus today," Harber said. "He thought he was about 70 percent of
his capabilities. He expects to do better in his next start."
Tsao is scheduled to pitch again Thursday in Cincinnati.
The young pitcher impressed some Brewers, too.
"He hit his spots, and he has a little juice on the ball," Vander Wal said.
"He had pretty good stuff, but time will tell. I can't say 'wow,' because I
don't feel that way. But he pitched well."
Said Young: "(Tsao) has good stuff, and I think he's going to be a pretty good
pitcher. But sometimes we talk only about the pitcher and forget about the
game that was called by the catcher. Charles Johnson called a game for the
young pitcher."
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