★Q14:
MLB.com: Several of the Taiwanese pitchers that signed have had arm problems
in their time in the minors. Do you feel it has anything to do with
the language barrier affecting communication between the coaches and
players?
Tsao: I don't. I think it has more to do with the workload we had in Taiwan.
Pitchers in Taiwan are called to pitch lots of innings in high school and
college. That's the environment there, because if you want to win
ballgames, you throw your No. 1 pitcher out there. I've pitched up to
four times in a single week before. Sometimes four days in a row. This is
as a starter, not a reliever. There are nine innings in a ballgame, so
after two games, your arm has pretty much reached its limit, and then
there's a third game and fourth game. Nobody likes to lose, so sometimes
even if we're playing a bad team where you don't need a No. 1 pitcher,
he'll still get used.
★Q15:
MLB.com: Taiwan won 17 Little League championships between 1969 and '96, so
people always ask me what happened to all those players. Do you have
a theory on this?
Tsao: Here in America, Little League is for fun. It's more simple and innocent.
I've talked to some people here and when they play against teams from
Taiwan and other countries, they say, 'Wow, they're really good.' But
they find out that we practice every day, so of course we're better. So
it's a different environment, because here they're playing baseball, but
in Taiwan, they're training professional baseball players from childhood.
I remember distance training when I was a child. But baseball is actually
more about acceleration and power, and not as much about endurance, so
that sort of training doesn't make as much sense. So sometimes the
children don't develop normally. Since they start so young, they may have
arm injuries by middle school, or other kinds of muscle injuries. But the
ones who make it end up playing professionally in Taiwan, Korea or Japan.
★Q16:
MLB.com: Did you play Little League ball? Is baseball still the most popular
sport in Taiwan?
Tsao: Yes, that's how I learned how to play baseball and got to where I am now.
But baseball shouldn't be so strenuous for kids. It should be a game.
It's still definitely the most popular sport. In fact, it's the national
sport.
★Q17:
MLB.com: Do you see more Taiwanese players coming over to America in the
future?
Tsao: Of course, I hope there's more. The more the better. This way we can
learn more and develop baseball in Taiwan further. Maybe bring back new
methods and techniques back to Taiwan and close the gap between Taiwan
and American baseball.
★Q18:
MLB.com: What do you like about America?
Tsao: I like the lifestyle here in the cities. It's a lot simpler, and people
are sincere and direct when they speak.
★Q19:
MLB.com: You realize that Tri-City, Asheville and Tulsa are smaller cities than
New York, Boston and even Denver, right?
★Q20:
Tsao: Ha, yeah, but so far I've liked the big cities, too.
MLB.com: What has been the most difficult thing to get used to in America? How
is communication with your teammates and coaches?
★Q21:
Tsao: The most difficult thing was probably adjusting to the culture when I
first came here, since it was different. And of course, the language.
It's hard when you can't understand what people are saying. I was like
a newborn infant. But now there's no problem with the culture at all and
I totally feel comfortable here. There is no problem with language on the
field, because we're talking baseball.
★Q22:
MLB.com: What do you miss most about Taiwan?
Tsao: That's an easy one. The food. Taiwanese food is the best.
★Q23:
MLB.com: Do you watch TV? Listen to music?
Tsao: Mostly ESPN to watch SportsCenter and MTV to watch videos. I like hip-hop.
★Q24:
MLB.com: When Hideo Nomo, Chan Ho Park and Ichiro came to America to play, they
attracted throngs of media from their respective countries. How has
the Taiwan media been with you?
Tsao: I've had no problems with them at all. I'm a starting pitcher, so I
pretty much only talk to them after the game I pitch and the next day
after that. Jay Alves (Rockies public relations director) has been very
helpful. I have a translator, Howard Chao, who helps me with American
media. In fact, he had been working in Tri-Cities (Single-A) with
Ching-Lung Lo, so he's made an even bigger jump to the Majors.
★Q25:
MLB.com: Are there any players that you're looking forward to facing?
Tsao: No, not really. Every player at this level is going to be great. They've
all spent time in the minor leagues, and they're in the Majors for a
reason, because they're good at what they do.
★Q26:
MLB.com: What are your favorite pastimes?
Tsao: I enjoy bowling, playing pool, clubbing, dancing and singing karaoke.
I'm a pretty easy-going and laid-back guy. I like to have fun, joke
around with friends.
★Q27:
MLB.com: There's a quote attributed to you that says you signed with the
Rockies because you "liked the colors of their uniform." Is that true?
Tsao: Well, I was just kidding when I said that and I'm surprised that it's
gotten so much attention. I do like the colors, but that wasn't the only
reason I signed with them.
★28:
MLB.com: One last question. Why is your uniform No. 71?
Tsao: That's the number that I had in Spring Training, so that's the number on
the jersey that was already in the Rockies locker room when I got called
up. I wore 22 at Tulsa because that's my age, but 17 is actually my
favorite number. But obviously Todd Helton has that number here so I'm
not going to get it, so I just reversed it.
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.csie.ntu.edu.tw)
◆ From: 218.160.22.216
※ 編輯: hanijun 來自: 218.160.22.216 (08/23 19:01)