A different look: Colorado Rockies right-handed pitching prospect Chin-hui
Tsao, 22, who leads the Double-A Texas League with 118 strikeouts, was chosen
to the Futures Game in 2000 as a 19-year-old but didn't pitch.
Back then, though, Tsao fashioned an 11-8 record and 2.73 ERA -- at full-season
Single-A Asheville, a high step for someone just out of high school in
Taiwan -- mainly by using a devastating slider.
Those who saw him then see a different pitcher now.
Tsao underwent Tommy John elbow surgery in 2001 and appeared in just 12 games
last season. When he did return, the Rockies limited his sliders to no more
than one an inning. This year, he is not throwing as many sliders because the
pitch isn't breaking as sharply -- he says it's acting like a cutter.
But his fastball is running in from the low-to-mid 90s and he is real happy
with his circle changeup. Just a week ago, he began using a two-seam sinking
fastball that can help him accomplish another goal -- keeping the ball out of
the air. He is excited about it.
"I never threw it before -- it was always a four-seamer -- but it was working
last week," said Tsao, who struck out one and gave up a hit in one scoreless
inning on Sunday. "My changeup is better than my slider."
Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said recently that if the Rockies need
Tsao -- they're taking a look at breaking some of their young prospects in
the bullpen -- they have no qualms about having him skip Triple-A Colorado
Springs. Tsao spent most of his recovery from injury studying English and the
America culture, and is much smoother in communicating than he was even at
the start of the season.
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news.jsp?ymd=20030713&content_id
=425935&vkey=allstar2003&fext=.jsp
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