Hu Chin-lung

Chin-Lung Hu
Hu with the Los Angeles Dodgers
EDA Rhinos – No. 15
Shortstop
Born: February 2, 1984 Tainan City, Taiwan
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 1, 2007, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
MLB statistics (through 2011 season)
Batting average	.176
Home runs	2
Runs batted in	18
Teams
Los Angeles Dodgers (2007–2010) New York Mets (2011) Adelaide Bite (ABL) (2011) EDA Rhinos (CPBL) (2013 - present)

Hu Chin-Lung (Chinese: 胡金龍; pinyin: Hú Jīnlóng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hô͘ Kim-liông; born February 2, 1984) is a Taiwanese professional baseball player, currently with the EDA Rhinos of the Chinese Professional Baseball League. He is the fifth player — and first infielder — from Taiwan to play Major League Baseball. His last name (along with that of fellow countryman Fu-Te Ni, formerly of the Detroit Tigers) is the shortest in MLB history.

Professional career

Los Angeles Dodgers

Hu was signed by the Dodgers on January 31, 2003, and began his professional career with the rookie league Ogden Raptors in 2003. He split 2004 between the Columbus Catfish in A ball and the Vero Beach Dodgers in High-A ball. In 2005, he played the whole season at Vero Beach and hit .313 with 23 stolen bases.

In 2006, he played for the Double-A Jacksonville Suns. Hu played in the All-Star Futures Game during the All-Star break in both 2006 and 2007. He won the MVP award for his performance in the 2007 game.^[1]

He was promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas on July 12, 2007, and made his major league debut on September 1, 2007, against the San Diego Padres. In his second MLB at bat, Hu hit a solo home run on September 11, 2007, against the Padres, becoming the first position player born in Taiwan to hit a home run in MLB. (Hu's teammate, pitcher Hong-Chih Kuo, had become the first Taiwanese-born player to hit a home run in MLB earlier in 2007). On September 25, Hu hit a two-run homer and became the first Taiwanese-born player to hit two home runs. Hu spent most of 2009 in AAA with the Albuquerque Isotopes and appeared in only five games with the Dodgers after a September callup.

In 2010 he again spent most of the year with the Isotopes. He appeared in 14 games with the Dodgers in 2010 and got 3 hits in 23 at-bats.

New York Mets

Hu with the New York Mets.

On December 27, 2010, he was traded to the New York Mets in exchange for pitcher Michael Antonini.^[2] On May 17, he was outrighted to the minor leagues.

Cleveland Indians

After playing for the Adelaide Bite of the Australian Baseball League and starting shortstop for the World All-Stars at the 2011 Australian Baseball League All-Star Game, Hu signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians in January, 2012.^[3] He was released on March 28, 2012 and signed to a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, however his contract was voided the next day after he failed a physical. He then signed with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs for the 2012 season.^[4]

EDA Rhinos

In 2013, he signed with EDA Rhinos of the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

International career

Hu played for Chinese Taipei in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.

Hu Chin-lung

Medal record
Competitor for  Chinese Taipei
Men’s Baseball
Asian Games
	2006 Doha	Team
	2010 Guangzhou	Team
Asian Baseball Championship
	2007 Taichung	Team
	2009 Sapporo	Team

Hu played for Chinese Taipei in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.

References

1. Singer, Tom (June 8, 2007). "Dodgers prospect named Futures MVP". MLB.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2007.
2. "Dodgers part ways with Chin-Lung Hu". ESPN.com. December 27, 2010. Archived from the original on December 30, 2010. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
3. Paul Hoynes (January 13, 2012). "Cleveland Indians GM Chris Antonetti works on making that first decision". Archived from the original on January 31, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
4. "MLB's Hu Chin-lung to join minor league team". The China Post. China News Analysis. April 4, 2012. Archived from the original on April 21, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2012.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)