A Taiwanese Tragedy

Name; Chin-Hui Tsao

Card Company: Topps

Team: Colorado Rockies

Year: 2005

Bats/Throws: R

Ht: 6'2

Chin-Hui Tsao was a pioneer, he became the first ever Taiwanese born pitcher to ever play in the major leagues. However, he wouldn’t find the same amount of success as other Asian born pioneers would find in the MLB. Unlike most pitchers that come over from Asia, Tsao relied on a power fastball that topped out at 100 mph. This obviously drew interest from MLB teams who viewed Tsao as a player with big-time potential. Even though he didn’t pan out in the MLB, his career is still worth noting.

Tsao after he graduated from high school in the summer of 1999, played briefly in the Taiwan Major League, before being eventually being signed by the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies at this point were only 6 years old as a franchise and were still looking to find it’s footing as a franchise. Also, if you know anything about the Rockies, it’s where pitchers go to die because of the thin air that makes balls fly out of Coors Field. That didn’t stop him from posting an impressive first season with the Rockies farm system putting up a 11-8 record with a 2.73 ERA with 187 strikeouts. He would keep moving up the Rockies farm system, showing a knack for being a strikeout artist that could carve up opposing offenses. This resulted in him being called up to the MLB by the Rockies in 2003, where he won his first start going 6.1 innings allowing 3 runs and striking out 5 batters.

However, shoulder injuries would become a theme of his career suffering some not only in the minor leagues, but also with the Rockies. Before these injuries, he was slated to be the Rockies closer however, due to the amount of injuries that piled up in a short time frame the Rockies had no choice but to let him go to free agency in 2006. It’s a shame really because many pitchers with shoulder injuries have transitioned to the bullpen and have had solid careers. However, in Tsao case he could never shake his shoulder injuries that ruined a once promising career.

He was picked up in 2007 by the Dodgers after missing the 2006 season with a shoulder injury. His career with Dodgers started out promising, starting the season pitching 10.1 scoreless innings out of

the bullpen. However, the good times wouldn’t last as he proceeded to give up 5 runs in a game while only recording 2 outs. Again, all pitchers have bad days, but once again Tsao would suffer another shoulder injury that would keep him out for the 2nd half of the 2007 season. And when the Dodgers tried to send him down to the minors at the end of the year Tsao refused and was granted his release.

He returned to his homeland of Taiwan signing on with the Brother Elephants of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). It wouldn’t end well in the CPBL, as Tsao would come under investigation for game fixing and would lead to his eventual dismissal from the CPBL. These events would also follow him to Australia as he tried to sign on with the Adelaide Bite. But after discussions with both the MLB and CPBL the Bite eventually released Tsao. While these game fixing accusations where never proved, teams wanted no part of a pitcher with chronic shoulder problems, and someone who might try and sabotage the team.

He would try and make a comeback with the Dodgers, and in 2015 he would win a game making him the first pitcher since Johnny Lindell to have a 10+ year gap in between victories. However, his shoulder would let him down again in 2016 which led to another season ending surgery. Overall Tsao career in the MLB is a tragedy because, he had the talent and the arm to be a major-league pitcher. The numbers he put up in the minors were great however he just couldn’t stay healthy, thus is the case for so many young pitchers.

Even though his career didn’t pan out, he drew eyes to Taiwanese pitchers making it possible for players like Chien-Ming Wang and Wei-Yin Chen and others to find careers in the MLB. And for that reason, he should be recognized as helping unlock a new region of possible MLB talent.

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