With Manny Ramirez having departed nearly a month ago and weeknight attendances showing noticeable declines, the talk around the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) has been the possible return of former major leaguer Kuo Hung-chih to Taiwan before the end of the season.
At least three clubs have approached Kuo’s agent in an effort to lure the lefty fireballer back home. Kuo, who played several seasons in the majors, despite multiple arm surgeries, would definitely boost flagging interest in the game since Ramirez’s exit, even though the 31-year-old Taiwanese is currently training on his own, having not been claimed by a team in the US.
Previous league regulations meant Kuo could not be declared a free agent until he had fulfilled a nine-year service requirement in Taiwan or a six-year service record in the highest professional league of a different country. The league imposed the restrictions in an effort to prevent players from “hopping from team to team” to boost their contracts.
The league held a meeting of its four team owners and commissioner to amend the six-year service requirement in a foreign league to clear Kuo’s eligibility last month, a ruling known as the “Kuo Clause.”
The sky could now be the limit as far as the terms of any contract for the former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher are concerned. Even though figures of NT$7 million to NT$8 million (US$234,000 to US$267,500) per year have been floating around, which would easily make Kuo the highest paid player in the league, he has not committed to any offers as he is still more inclined to remain abroad.
“We are continuing our efforts to sign [Kuo] before the end of the season,” Uni-President president Su Tai-an said earlier this week.
His team may be the favorites in the pursuit of Kuo, who comes from Greater Tainan and played his high school ball for Tainan’s Nan Ying Vocational Senior High School before to going to the US in 1999.
Also in hot pursuit of Kuo are the EDA Rhinos, who lost Ramirez last month after experiencing a big upturn in fortunes following the addition of the former major league MVP to their roster.
Regardless of who obtains Kuo’s services if and when he does return home, the team will be expected to give up three draft choices in the ensuing amatuer draft to “compensate” the rest of the league for the signing of such a high profile player, according to the details of the “Kuo Clause.”
Kuo, who was part of the Taiwanese team at the World Baseball Classic earlier this year, signed a one year non-guaranteed deal with the Seattle Mariners in February last year, but was released a month later.
He signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs in June last year, but was released the following month.
Additional reporting by staff writer
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
‘HELLA ENERGY’: Minnesota’s 42-point victory set a club record for points in a playoff game, but the team have to keep up their momentum to stay in the series, Edwards said Anthony Edwards on Saturday night scored 30 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves overwhelmed Oklahoma City 143-101 to tighten their NBA playoff series. Edwards added nine rebounds and six assists. while shooting 12-of-17 from the floor and 5-of-8 from three-point range as the hosts Timberwolves pulled a game back to be 2-1 behind in the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals. However, moments after the 42-point win, Minnesota were determined to forget all about it. Such is life in the NBA playoffs. “You’ve got to erase this one,” Edwards said. “This one is over. I know everyone is happy about this one, but we know OKC is