Hung-Chih Kuo #56

Hong-Chih Kuo...single...rode on the Dodgers' first-ever float in the 2008 Rose Parade to kick off the team's 50th Anniversary celebration... attended the grand opening of the Dodger Dreamfield at Seoul International Park in Los Angeles' Koreatown in 2006...was a high school teammate of Yankees' pitcher Chien-Ming Wang...signed by Dodger scouts Acey Kohrogi and Jack Zduriednick.

2008

Bounced back from left rotator cuff and left elbow injuries in 2007 to pitch in a career-high 80.0 innings over a career-best 42 games (three starts)...did not pitch after Sept. 14, however, due to a sore left arm...finished 5-3 with a save and a 2.14 ERA, working mainly in a long relief role...Had a 1.69 ERA (13 ER/69.1 IP) as a reliever to lead the National League and rank seventh in the Majors...Struck out 96 in 80.0 innings, an average of 10.80 strikeouts per 9.0 innings...limited the opposition to a .204 average, including a .194 mark as a reliever...Worked 2.0 or more innings in 18 of his 39 relief appearances...posted a 0.38 ERA (2 ER/47.0 IP) in those games...Retired the final 10 left-handed hitters he faced...beginning on July 27, left-handed hitters were just 3-for-23 (.130) against him...His three spot starts were April 2 vs. San Francisco, April 15 vs. Pittsburgh, and April 22 at Cincinnati...went 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA (6 ER/10.2 IP) as a starter...Tossed 13.1 consecutive scoreless innings in five-plus appearances from May 17-June 12...On May 6 vs. New York Mets, struck out a career-high-tying eight batters, which was the most strikeouts by a Dodger reliever in a game since Kevin Brown tied a Los Angeles Dodger record with nine in 4.0 innings on Aug. 25, 2002...worked 4.1 innings on June 1 at the New York Mets for his longest relief outing...earned his first big league save on Aug. 14 vs. Philadelphia, closing out a 3-1 win with 2.0 scoreless innings...Was not on the Dodgers' Division Series roster due to lingering elbow pain...did make the NLCS roster, and appeared in three games, giving up a run in 3.0 innings of work

2007

Began and ended the year on the disabled list, posting a 1-4 record and 7.42 ERA in eight games (six starts) in between stints on the DL...also went 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA in seven games (five starts) for Triple-A Las Vegas...activated from the disabled list (left rotator cuff) on May 3 and optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas...recalled from Triple-A on May 15 and was sent to the bullpen...appeared in just two games, giving up four runs in 2.1 innings...sent back down on May 22...recalled for the second time on June 2...placed on the disabled list for the second time on June 30 with left elbow inflammation and underwent surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow on July 25 and did not pitch again during the season...beat the Mets on June 12 for his second Major League win, working 7.0 innings and giving up one run and five hits...hit a 412-foot home run in that contest, the third of back-to-back-to-back homers and the first homer by a Taiwanese player in Major League history...his batting helmet was sent to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown...faced San Diego's Jake Peavy on June 7, allowing just one run and three hits over 6.0 innings in a no-decision...fanned a career-high tying eight batters in the contest...overall at Triple-A, struck out 28 batters and walked just eight in 20.0 innings pitched...held right-handers to a .222 average and lefties to a .276 mark.

2006

Earned the Jim and Dearie Mulvey Award as the top rookie in Dodger camp this spring, posting a 0.75 ERA (1 ER/12.0 IP) with 14 strikeouts in 10 games...Made his first Opening Day roster as a reliever but was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on April 30...Recalled from Las Vegas on June 3 for his second stint with the Dodgers in 2006...had 18 strikeouts in 12.0 innings at Las Vegas...Optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas for the second time on July 4 and was converted back to starting on July 16...went 3-3 with a 2.61 ERA in nine starts for the 51s and was recalled for a third time on Aug. 30...His first Major League start on Sept. 8 at Shea Stadium in New York happened on Taiwanese Heritage Night...pitched 6.0 scoreless innings and earned his first big league victory...Became just the third Taiwanese pitcher to start a game in Major League history following Colorado's Chin-Hui Tsao and the New York Yankees' Chien-Ming Wang...In five starts, went 1-1 with an 3.07 ERA (10 ER/29.1 IP)...in 23 relief appearances, posted an 0-4 record and 5.34 ERA...Held lefties to a .241 average (13-for-54) and right-handers to a .246 mark (41-for-167)...Struck out a career-high eight batters on two occasions, Sept. 19 vs. Pittsburgh and Sept. 24 vs. Arizona...Went 1-for-8 with a double and six strikeouts as a batter...Pitched for Chinese Taipei in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, allowing three earned runs in two games (1.2 IP)...Has undergone two Tommy John surgeries (2000, 2003) and had appeared in just 46 minor league games before making his MLB debut in 2005...Attended the grand opening of the Dodger Dream Field at Seoul International Park in Los Angeles' Koreatown along with fellow Dodger pitcher Takashi Saito on Sept. 16, 2006...Started Game 2 of the Division Series against the Mets and lost, giving up two runs in 4.1 innings...holds the record for the fewest career wins at the time of a postseason start, as he had only one Major League win entering the game...the previous record was two wins, by Gary Waslewski of the Red Sox in the 1967 World Series.

2005

Contract was purchased from Double-A Jacksonville on Sept. 2 and he spent the final month of the regular season with the big league club, appearing in nine games and compiling an 0-1 record and 6.75 ERA in 5.1 innings ... Pitched in a combined 37 games and 59.2 innings between the Major Leagues and minor leagues...prior to the season, injuries limited him to just 18 games and 42.1 innings pitched in his first five seasons in the Dodger organization ... In 28 outings between Single-A Vero Beach (11 games) and Jacksonville (17 games), was 2-2 with three saves and a 1.99 ERA, striking out 86 batters in 54.1 innings...with Jacksonville, posted a 1.91 ERA (6 ER/28.1 IP) ... In a span of 13 outings for Jacksonville from July 9-Aug. 29, allowed just one run in 21.0 innings ... Made his Major League debut on Sept. 2 at Colorado...came into the contest in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and two out and retired Clint Barmes on a soft liner to end the inning ... Held right-handers to .000 average (0-for-8) with five strikeouts ... Entered Sept. 18 game at San Francisco to face Barry Bonds in the eighth inning and served up career home run No. 705 to the Giants' slugger ... Over his next five outings, pitched 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out nine batters ... Hurled 2.0 scoreless innings on Sept. 20 at Arizona and struck out five batters to match the Dodger season high for strikeouts by a reliever.

2004

On June 1 for Single-A Columbus, made his first appearance in a professional game since Aug. 29, 2002, following rehabilitation at Extended Spring Training ... Earned first career win by tossing 3.0 shutout innings of relief on June 10 vs. Rome.

2003

Spent the entire season recovering from his second Tommy John Surgery.

2002

Limited to seven games as he continued to rehabilitate injured elbow.

2001

Returned to action in late June after having not appeared in a pro game in over 14 months ... Pitched seven games for the Gulf Coast League Dodgers.

2000

On April 10, made his pro debut for Single-A San Bernardino and struck out seven of the 10 batters faced in 3.0 shutout innings before suffering a season-ending elbow injury, which subsequently required Tommy John Surgery.