06/13/2007 2:47 AM ET By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com
LOS ANGELES -- It’s taken Hong-Chih Kuo nine professional seasons, but he now has as many Major League victories as Tommy John operations (two).
If pitching the Dodgers to a 4-1 win over the slumping Mets with seven strong innings Tuesday night wasn’t milestone enough to celebrate for the star-crossed left-hander, you should have seen Kuo’s bat flip while admiring his first Major League home run -- and first homer by any Taiwanese-born player.
The theatrics were right out of the Reggie Jackson playbook, the bat traveling only a few hundred feet short of the tape-measure blast that completed back-to-back-to-back homers on consecutive pitches by the bottom of the Dodgers batting order in the second inning.
”I didn’t mean to do that,” Kuo said apologetically about the hot-dogging. ”I hit it, I know I hit it hard.”
Wilson Betemit and Matt Kemp, inserted into the lineup by manager Grady Little, slugged the first two off John Maine. Kemp’s landed in the sliver of fair loge seats, the first homer there since Olmedo Saenz did it in 2005. Kemp added a second RBI on an infield single in the sixth inning.
”It won’t match the four home runs we hit last year, but this was pretty exciting,” said Kemp, referring to the September game against San Diego.
Pretty exciting for sure for Kuo, who must like pitching against the Mets because he’s never beaten anyone else. His maiden victory was last Sept. 8, a gutsy six scoreless innings in raucous Shea Stadium against a powerhouse team. That was the win that convinced management Kuo’s elbow could withstand the rigors of starting. Until that emergency start, he had been overprotected and forced to pitch in relief, where he has said he’s not comfortable.
He tried to duplicate that win in Game 2 of the National League Division Series at Shea and was the losing pitcher, charged with two runs in 4 1/3 innings while the Dodgers were scratching out only one run off Tom Glavine in a 4-1 defeat.
Kuo made history that night for starting a postseason game with the fewest Major League wins, but nothing about his career has been ordinary. He was signed out of Taiwan for $1.25 million as a teenager, blew out his elbow in his first professional game after striking out seven of the 10 batters he faced and it’s been a nightmare ride ever since, including the five years he spent trying to get healthy.
He’s nothing if not persistent. He signed in 1999, meaning he’s been in the organization longer than any current active Dodger. That year, Kevin Malone was general manager, Davey Johnson the field manager and Gary Sheffield and Eric Karros hit 34 homers. Each.
His journey to the Major Leagues hit one pothole after another. He was taken off the Major League roster at one point and could have been taken by any club in the Rule 5 Draft. When his rehab stalled for the umpteenth time, he had to be talked out of quitting the game. He’s often credited Darren Dreifort (two Tommy John surgeries) and Eric Gagne (one) for their advice and counsel to keep him going.
Even this spring, when Little had Kuo penciled in as his fifth starter, a shoulder strain derailed him. He allowed the Padres only one run in six innings while dueling Jake Peavy last week, but Kuo wasn’t satisfied with four walks, and in a bullpen session over the weekend, scrapped his windup and went exclusively out of the stretch.
”I felt more comfortable that way,” said Kuo, who walked only one while scattering five hits. ”Sometimes I can’t put it together with the windup and I overthrow.”
Kuo’s fastball topped out at 91 mph, several ticks below his best last year, and he made it through the seven innings with 89 pitches.
”I don’t look at that,” he said. ”I got outs. I got ahead in counts and that was important.”
The home-run derby was pretty important for a club that ranked 15th of 16 in the league for home runs. It started with Betemit, getting his second start in three games at third base after essentially losing his starting job a month ago.
His opposite-field shot to left-center traveled 408 feet and was his sixth of the year. Next up was Kemp, in only his second start since being recalled from Triple-A, pulling one 447 feet and just tucking it inside the left-field foul pole in the second deck.
”They gave us good pitches to hit and we took advantage of it,” Kemp said. ”A first-pitch fastball and it was right there. I didn’t know it went that far, I was just running the bases. Kuo really got a hold of one. It was a pretty good swing. He hit it pretty hard. He can hit. I’ve seen him hit balls really far in batting practice.”
The Dodgers had 10 hits, including two by Juan Pierre and a line single by Nomar Garciaparra, back in the lineup after sitting out two games. Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito finished up, each striking out a pair, Saito earning his 18th save.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
大聯盟首轟 頭盔手套具歷史意義 郭董躍登名人堂
更新日期:2007/06/14 04:39 記者: 特約記者李琢／洛杉磯報導
就在郭泓志揮出台灣選手在大聯盟史上的第一支全壘打，美國媒體卻把焦點擺在「小小郭」揮棒後的甩棒動作，似乎有賣弄及輕視對手之嫌，企圖模糊這具有歷史意義的一刻。
賽後，當地媒體對於郭泓志創下的紀錄似乎不太關心，只是不斷追問他的甩棒動作。郭泓志解釋說，他在揮棒後只是很自然的將棒丟出，並無任何賣弄之意。至於總教練利托也極力為「小小郭」辯護：「我沒有看到什麼不一樣的動作啊。」
神來一棒 自己都感意外
郭泓志這神來一棒，不僅利托感到不可思議，就連「小小郭」自己都十分意外。「我從來沒想過會在大聯盟擊出全壘打。」高中時期曾打出全壘打的郭泓志，回想起這難忘的一刻，額頭還不斷冒出汗水。
就在郭泓志接受大批媒體訪問結束後，一位工作人員突然拿了郭泓志的頭盔請他簽名，裏面還有一雙手套。「我們計畫把它送到紐約州古柏鎮的棒球名人堂，因為這是第一位在大聯盟擊出全壘打的台灣球員所戴的頭盔。至於球，按規定屬於郭泓志的，球棒他還要繼續打，所以我們只把頭盔和手套送到名人堂。」
和郭泓志同為道奇隊友的曹錦輝，對「小小郭」的全壘打不感意外，他甚至表示曾出現預感，小曹說：「當隊友連續擊出兩支全壘打，接著輪到小小郭上場時，我們都猜他會打第一球，也有預感可能會是全壘打，沒想到他真的把球打出場外，大家幾乎都瘋了。」
最快月底 小曹並肩作戰
過去在科羅拉多洛磯隊曾揮出二壘安打的曹錦輝又說：「郭泓志全壘打最大的意義是，這個台灣球員早該創下的紀錄終於出現了。」小曹的肩傷目前已痊癒，他說下周或下下周便可上投手丘練投。
「進入傷兵名單好像度日如年，我希望趕緊開始投球，我真的很不想再待在這裏（傷兵名單）。」如無意外，郭泓志和曹錦輝可望在月底時並肩作戰，在同一場比賽先後以先發及中繼角色登場，再創台灣選手在大聯盟紀錄。
Wang and Kuo make them proud in Taiwan
Tuesday was a big night for Taiwan.
In New York, Chien-Ming Wang of the Yankees allowed one run in seven innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is 6-4 with a 3.49 ERA.
In Los Angeles, Hong-Chih Kuo of the Dodgers allowed one run in seven innings against the Mets. He improved to 1-1 and dropped his ERA to 3.60. He also homered as the Dodgers beat the struggling Mets.
Wang and Kuo are friends, having grown up in the same area in Taiwan. Kuo was considered the better prospect when they were younger because he threw harder. But he had a long history of injuries and did not emerge until last season.
Many fans from Taiwan have e-mailed about Wang and I’ve gotten to know several Taiwanese journalists. The New York chapter of the BBWAA even welcomed its first Taiwanese member this season, Joseph Liao of the World Journal. It’s great that MLB is making such inroads there.
Trust me when I tell you, Wang and Kuo will be big news there today.
張老師專欄／建仔、郭董雙喜臨門相繼勝投 驚動美大聯盟
2007/06/13 19:18 張昭雄／球評
台灣旅美職棒史上首度兩名投手同一天先發出賽，結果雙雙都有超水準演出，相繼贏得勝投，其中郭泓志還擊出台灣旅美史上大聯盟的頭號紅不讓，震驚全場，13日是王建民連續取得3場勝投佳作，目前累積達到6勝（4敗），郭泓志則是奪得今年球季首場勝投，十分風光。
13日同一天洋基迎戰響尾蛇、道奇出戰大都會都是主場擊潰客隊的比賽，巧合的是王、郭兩名先發投手都是投畢7局完成優質投手任務退場；兩場比賽都是4比1鳴金收兵，同樣各有1分責失分而奪得勝投；而且敵隊兩名先發投手韋伯及思都是6勝3敗，要比王、郭成績優異，但都同時吞下敗戰投手職責；更巧妙的是兩役都是使用兩小時34分鐘，比賽過程節奏相當快，這是台灣旅美職棒史上最值得驕傲、慶賀的一天。
洋基、響尾蛇之戰擁入5萬1577名觀眾人數，幾乎是滿座球迷捧場，今年球季第10度掛帥的王建民，投得還是相當穩健與冷靜，整場先發前七局除了慣例常在第一局上半出現驚濤駭浪略微緊張之外，其餘六局似乎沒有讓洋基隊球迷提心吊膽，四局上半雖被響尾蛇第五棒崔西敲出陽春彈，惟因一下洋基隊第三棒阿布瑞尤的驚天動地3分紅不讓墊板，幾乎聞不到緊張氣氛，當然主要還是王建民整場比賽投得太穩的關係，即使響尾蛇先發投手韋伯是去年賽揚獎角色，也與王建民一樣擅長於伸卡球威力之輩的投手，但是論球速、配球、或是穩定性以及臨場表現，王建民都比韋伯略勝一籌，同時韋伯投畢七局被敲出5支安打的兩成正打擊率（25支5），其中阿布瑞尤的3分彈極具殺傷力，王建民也投七局但被擊多出6支安打，被打擊率2成22，不過除了崔西的陽春彈，其餘5支都是單安打，發生不了得分效益，平心而論，此役洋基隊的一壘手卡羅及游擊手基特有3次美技守備，的確也幫助王建民與洋基隊打贏這場比賽。
洋基隊贏了此役後取得最近7連勝的輝煌成績，改寫去年最多6連勝紀錄，由於13日紅襪隊也以1分險勝洛磯山隊，目前還與榜首紅襪隊有9點5場勝差，尚須努力。值得一提的是，王建民個人投手防禦率已經進步到3點49，在美聯投手防禦率排行榜躋身在第15傑前茅，遠比7勝5敗日本籍松坂大輔的4點52第31名優異許多，此役王建民唯一遺憾的是中斷了連續9場比賽使對手擊出雙殺打的紀錄。
至於今年首場勝投入袋的郭泓志，在這場比賽投得有條不紊，七局過程大都會隊只有兩度在得點圈有跑者，其中二上丟掉全場僅有的這1分，主要是他有6成63好球率表現（投89球，好球59球），比過去累積5成96有顯著進步，全場也只有1次四壞球，與過去令人擔心的四壞球頻繁，此役完全消失了。
平心而論，今後郭泓志如果在控球能力方面再予以加強的話，他的球速尾勁實在很難令人捉摸。此役被打擊率只有兩成正（25支5），與他過去累積被打擊率2成69大有進步，尤其被擊出的5支安打全部都是單安打，對大都會隊起不了得分作用，同時此役也有4次奪三振紀錄，只投出1次四壞球，最令人興奮的是，郭泓志居然敲出台灣旅美在大聯盟的首號紅不讓，而這支驚天動地的全壘打是接在第七、八棒貝特密、坎普之後的「連3轟」十分可貴，而二下這3支串連的紅不讓竟也把對方投手曼恩信心給打掉，曼恩此役被打擊率高達3成04（23支7），過去他的累積被打擊率只有兩成21而已，尤其此役7支安打之中還包括有3支全壘打及1支三壘打，於是他的防禦率從2點78，退到3點05，非戰之罪。
同時，身為國聯東區龍頭的大都會隊在3連戰連輸兩場給道奇隊後寫下今年第二度4連敗厄運，但仍居榜首，反過來看，道奇隊贏了此役後已與同區榜首聖地牙哥教士隊零勝差，而與響尾蛇隊並列第2名。總之，郭泓志的優異演出值得讚揚、鼓勵！
郭泓志歷史一轟 飛了125.5公尺
連續三發全壘打不稀奇，連續三發全壘打其中一支還是投手敲出去的就不常見了，洛杉磯道奇今天就完成這項「壯舉」，而那位開砲的投手就是我國旅美好手郭泓志，力量十足的小小郭，轟出全壘打的距離可是比貝特米的還要遠，連道奇總教練利托都說，沒看過投手把球轟得這麼遠。
那到底有多遠呢？今天道奇在2局下由貝特米、坎普與郭泓志達成的全壘打三連發，賽後經過評估，小小郭的紅不讓有412英呎（約125.5公尺），比「專職」打者貝特米的408英呎（124.3公尺）還要遠，而坎普的全壘打則是最遠一支，飛行了447英呎（約136.2公尺），從數據上似乎也看得出來，郭泓志的力量與爆發力的確驚人。
挨轟的紐約大都會投手曼恩應該會很悶，因為連續被敲三支全壘打還不是被中心打者狙擊，把球打出牆外的是道奇的7、8、9棒，尤其第9棒是投手，這大概更會讓曼恩吐血。
不僅如此，這紅不讓三連發還是連續三球就解決。貝特米是在一好球沒有壞球的情況下，把投手投出的第二球就敲出去，接下來的坎普與郭泓志都是瞄準第一球就進攻，而上一次有球隊用這麼精簡的球數敲出三支全壘打，其實就是道奇自己，在去年對聖地牙哥教士一戰敲出「神奇」連四轟，後面的三發全壘打就曾經達成過。
敲出台灣球員在大聯盟的第一支全壘打，郭泓志表示，「我不是故意要這麼做，但我敲得很用力。」，記者問小小郭上一次擊出紅不讓是什麼時候，郭泓志回答：「大概是高中吧！」，小小郭對自己敲出全壘打很意外，但隊友坎普可一點都不驚訝，「這真的不會讓我很驚訝。我跟他（郭泓志）在3A打過球，我看過他的打擊練習，他就打出過一些飛球。
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