★Q4:
MLB.com: What does it mean to you to be the first Taiwanese pitcher in the
Major Leagues? Do you feel any additional pressure?
Tsao: It means a lot to be the first. It's definitely special. I'm very proud
of Taiwan. Lots of people ask me if I feel pressure, but I don't really.
That's not the kind of person I am. I just try to do the best I can out
there.
★Q5:
MLB.com: Do you know any of the other Taiwanese players who are playing in
America now?
Tsao: I know Chien-Ming Wang (Yankees), Ching-Lung Lo (Rockies), Chin-Feng Chen
and Hong-Chih Kuo (Dodgers). There are several other players who are
younger who I don't know personally.
★Q6:
MLB.com: Are you well-known in Taiwan? Do people recognize you on the streets?
Tsao: I think before I got called up, probably only the baseball fans would
recognize me. Now, it's probably more.
★Q7:
MLB.com: What were your goals entering the season?
Tsao: Well, my goal was to pitch well and get an opportunity to pitch in the
Majors. Now that I'm here, I want to continue pitching well and help
the team get into the postseason.
★Q8:
MLB.com: What have you noticed in the difference between the hitters in
Double-A and the Majors?
Tsao: Wow, lots and lots of difference. The hitters have more power, they're
faster, and they recognize pitches a lot better.
★Q9:
MLB.com: What about the lifestyle as compared to the minor leagues?
Tsao: One word pretty much describes being in the Majors. Awesome. In the
minors, we stayed in little motels, here it's 5-star hotels. The locker
rooms are bigger. In Double-A we take bus trips and little planes, here
we fly first class.
★Q10:
MLB.com: Has the Rockies organization taught you anything new about pitching?
Tsao: I started throwing the two-seam fastball after I came to America. I had
seen it before in Taiwan, but it's a different grip here. I've learned
that there's many different ways to grip a pitch. Like a cutter, there's
several different ways to throw it. Also, during rehab last year, I was
only allowed to throw one slider per inning. So they had me working on my
changeup all year, since it's easier on the arm than the slider. In my
first year here (in America), I probably threw only one changeup every
two innings. Now I have much more confidence in it and can throw it more
often.
★Q11:
MLB.com: Are there any former teammates in Double-A that Rockies fans should
get excited about seeing in the near future?
Tsao: Oh yeah, there are a lot of good players there. I've talked to some of
them and said, 'See you in September.' But I don't want to give any
names because their heads will get too big after seeing their names
in the newspaper.(^^)
★Q12:
MLB.com: Are you planning to pitch in the Asian Championships (2004 Olympic
qualifying competition) this offseason for Taiwan? How do you think
Taiwan will do?
Tsao: I'm definitely willing to pitch and I've already committed to playing. I
just don't know what the rules are regarding 25-man roster players. I'll
see what the Rockies say, but as long as the rules allow it, I'll pitch.
I think they (Taiwan baseball officials) said if we win the gold medal,
we will be excused from our military obligation. But that's going to be
a big challenge. Korea and Japan always have good teams because they send
their professional stars to play. Our pitching matches up well,
but we lack power in the lineup. The top two teams will get to go to the
Olympics next year, so it would be great if we qualified.
★Q13:
MLB.com: What was your recovery from Tommy John recovery like? Did you learn
anything from the experience and are you fully recovered?
Tsao: It was probably the toughest thing I've ever gone through. It was long,
a year and a half. I couldn't pitch for a long time, and after I started
pitching, it was very limited. But I did learn a lot. Because I only
threw two pitches and they limited how many times I could throw my
slider, I had to think harder on the mound, how to get groundballs, how
to get the hitters out. I worked a lot on the mental part of the game.
As far as velocity, I'm throwing just as fast, if not faster than before
the surgery.
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◆ From: 218.160.22.216
※ 編輯: hanijun 來自: 218.160.22.216 (08/23 18:39)