Hong-Chih Kuo

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Hong-Chih Kuo (born in Tainan, Taiwan) is a retired professional baseball pitcher who played for the Chinese Professional Baseball League's Fubon Guardians. (CPBL) 0:42.

In CPBL, he had previously played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions.

Kuo made his Taiwan debut in 2005, becoming the fourth MLB player from Taiwan (after Chin-Feng Chen, Chin-hui Tsao, and Chien-Ming Wang).

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Playing career

Kuo was hired as a free agent by the Dodgers on June 19, 1999, but elbow injuries barred him from playing with the team. Both Tommy John surgeries were performed in 2000 and 2003, respectively. Kuo can't pitch on a regular basis until 2005. He pitched 11 games for the Vero Beach Dodgers and 17 games for the Jacksonville Suns before falling out of the crowd for his Major League debut against the Colorado Rockies on September 2, 2005.

Kuo started the 2006 season as a relief pitcher. He was sent down to the Las Vegas 51s' AAA affiliate after giving up eight earned runs on 15 walks in only 13 innings pitched in April. In Las Vegas in 12 innings, he recorded a 3.75 ERA in May and June, but walking eight out 8. In June, the Dodgers called him up. Kuo had a 5.74 ERA in 14+13 innings pitched between June and July in 2006.

The Dodgers decided to start Kuo rather than having him work out of the bullpen, hoping that the increased innings would give him a chance to develop his skills, and that a lot of rest between appearances would shield his fragile elbow. In July, his ERA was 5.19 with 17 strikeouts and eight walks in 17+1 293 IP. However, in his last month as president of the month, he made his first appearance in many years by pitching five shutout innings. Kuo started with a 1.14 ERA in five August innings, batting out 28 runs in 23+2/3 innings.

Kuo made his first appearance in the major leagues on September 8, 2006, after more than 30 relief appearances. In his debut, he tossing six shutout innings and leading the Dodgers to a 5–0 victory over the New York Mets. Kuo's next three starts were largely successful, and Kuo ended the season with a 2.59 ERA as a starter.

Kuo was unable to start the 2007 season in the Dodgers' rotation due to a spring training injury, but he eventually regained his starting pitcher role.

Kuo scored a 412-foot home run on June 12, 2007, becoming the first Taiwanese player to reach a home run in MLB. In that game, the Dodgers defeated the Devils 4–1. Kuo won his first game of the season in that series.

Kuo started the season with Esteban Loaiza for the fifth starter position in the Dodgers' rotation. Kuo's off-season elbow surgery sparked questions about his longevity, so boss Joe Torre made him a long-serving employee. He has also worked in middle relief and set-up.

On May 6, Kuo pitched 3+227 runs in relief of Hiroki Kuroda's relief and pitched 3+12 innings without missing a single batter and winning his second game of the year. Kuo pitched two scoreless innings against the Phillies on August 14, his first career save.

Kuo's 2008 season was a 5–3 record in 42 games, three games as a starter, and 39 in relief, with 96 strikeouts in 80 innings. Kuo led all National League relievers with an ERA of 1.69. He only allowed 49 hits in 69+1 3 innings, knocking out 86 batters, while holding the opposition to a.204 average in his 39 relief appearances.

He missed the last 15 games of the regular season due to a triceps injury, but he returned in time for the National League Championship series and was activated on October 9. He appeared in three games during the Championship series, logging three innings, winning two hits and one earned run, and striking out three others out three out three runs.

Kuo was named the 2008 Setup Man of the Year by the fans on MLB.com as part of the website's This Year in Baseball Awards.

Kuo started the 2009 season in the Dodgers' bullpen but he suffered his elbow and was placed on the disabled list on May 2. He didn't rejoined the team until July 27, but he's back to form and pitched in 35 games for the Dodgers' bullpen, ending with a ERA of 3.00.

Kuo in the first half pitched in middle relief and set a record by giving up 0 hits against 36 straight left-handed batters. Thanks to his appearance, he was able to play in the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game as a replacement for Jason Heyward, becoming the first Taiwanese-born player to be honoured. Jonathan Broxton was brought closer by Kuo in the second half of the season after Broxton struggled in the role.

Kuo pitched a scoreless 9th innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on October 3, his 12th save of the season while setting a new Dodger franchise record of minimum of 50 innings pitched. Eric Gagne held the previous record of 1.202.

Kuo led all Major League relievers with a 1.20 ERA in the 2010 season, a 3–2 record and led all MLB relievers with a 3.20 ERA. He pitched 60.0 innings, struck out 73, walked 18 (18.05 strikeout to walk ratio), and converted 12 saves in 13 out of the bullpen in 56 appearances.

Kuo was throwing with about 5 to 60% in the off-season when the Dodgers' medical staff was still on the behest. Although Kuo typically suffers with elbow pains during spring training, it was suggested that off-season throwing exercises would help him avoid the disabled list at the start of the season. Kuo, on the other hand, was failing early on. He spent some time on the DL due to a back injury and nine games, with an 11.57 ERA. With what they described as a "anxiety disorder," the Dodgers recalled him on the disabled list on May 11. Don Mattingly, Kuo's manager, said he was unaware of when Kuo would be ready to pitch again. On August 10, he did eventually return to the Dodgers, but the team continued to pitch poorly down the stretch. Kuo ended the season 1–2 with a 9.00 record in 27 innings pitched. He remarked that he was undecided about whether he wanted to keep playing at the end of the season.

Kuo's left elbow swollen as he prepared to play in an exhibition series against the Taiwan National Team, and he had to perform his fifth elbow surgery. When the Dodgers refused to give him a contract on December 12, he became a free agent.

Kuo signed a one-year non-guaranteed contract with the Seattle Mariners on February 6, 2012. He was released on March 19.

On June 4, 2012, Kuo signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs. However, he was released on July 6.

In September 2013, Kuo signed with the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions of CPBL. Since the 2016 season, he became a free agent.

Kuo signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres on February 17, 2017. On March 29, 2017, he applied and was granted parole.

In July 2017, Kuo joined Fubon Guardians of the Chinese Professional Baseball League. After the Guardians lost to the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions in the 2018 CPBL playoffs, he declared his retirement from professional baseball on October 22, 2018.

International career

He was selected for the Chinese Taipei national baseball team at the 2002 Asian Games, 2006 Asian Games, and the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

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