Tsai Chung-nan

In this Taiwanese name, the surname is Tsai.
Tsai Chung-nan
Pitcher
Born: 7 March 1979 (1979-03-07) (age 45)
Xizhi, Taipei County, Taiwan
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
CPBL debut
March 8, 2002, for the Sinon Bulls
CPBL statistics
(through 10 October 2008)
Win–loss record35–28
Earned run average3.98
Strikeouts304
Teams
As player

As coach

Career highlights and awards
Medals
Representing  Chinese Taipei
Men's Baseball
Asian Games
Silver medal – second place 2002 Busan Team

Tsai Chung-nan (Chinese: 蔡仲南; Wade–Giles: Tsai4 Chung4-nan2; born 7 March 1979 in Taipei County, Taiwan), sometimes nicknamed Ah-Gan (Chinese: 阿甘),[1] is a Taiwanese former baseball starting pitcher who played for the Sinon Bulls in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) from 2002 to 2009. He is currently the head coach for the Nanhua University baseball team.

Early life and education

Born in Xizhi Township, Taipei County, Tsai attended Xizhi Elementary School and Xiufeng Senior High School prior to entering Taipei Physical Education College, a junior college in Taipei.[2] He joined the Taiwanese military as part of Taiwan's compulsory service.[1]

Playing career

In 1999, Tsai represented Taiwan and faced off against Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka in the 1999 Asian Baseball Championship, becoming a household name. In the 2001 Baseball World Cup, he recorded a win against the Netherlands and led the team to the semifinals.[3]

In discontinued magazine Baseball World's October 1999 issue, Tsai was featured in the cover story and dubbed the "Prince of the Forkball." The cover bore, in large English lettering, "Now You Know Who I Am!"[4] After Tsai’s performance in the Asian Baseball Championship, he was recruited by or in dialogue with Nippon Professional Baseball, Taiwan Major League, and CPBL teams.[5]

Tsai was the No. 1 overall pick by the Sinon Bulls in the 2002 CPBL draft, signing a historic NT$6 million contract. In his rookie season, Tsai posted 14 wins and 9 losses with a 3.49 earned run average, receiving the CPBL Rookie of the Year Award.[1]

Tsai represented Taiwan in the 2002 Asian Games held in Busan, South Korea. He was the team's ace pitcher, and recorded a loss in the championship game against the South Korean team.[6]

In his second year in the CPBL, he posted 11 wins.[1]

Coaching career

Following his playing career, Tsai became pitching coach for the Simon Bulls. During his injury-ridden years, he was reportedly encouraged by the Bulls organization to transition into a coaching role.[7]

In October 2016, Nanhua University announced the establishment of its baseball team and hired Tsai to be its first head coach.[8]

Personal life

Tsai's nickname Ah-Gan is derived from the Taiwanese translation of film character Forrest Gump. His classmates at junior college coined the nickname based on anecdotes that Tsai often continued running after the team's conditioning drills had ended.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Luo, Chih-peng (4 May 2023). "中職》卡在這一關 當年蔡仲南錯失旅外發展機會". Liberty Times (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b Lin, CH (1 June 2015). "指叉王子心不甘：中職史上最高簽約金保持人蔡仲南". TNL Mediagene (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  3. ^ "細水長流vs.一瞬光芒 官大元、蔡仲南野球人生大不同". United Daily News (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 31 January 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  4. ^ Morris, Andrew (2015). Colonial Project, National Game: A History of Baseball in Taiwan. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 153.
  5. ^ Wu, Ching-cheng (28 July 2020). "「蔡仲南障礙」高懸18年未破". Liberty Times (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  6. ^ Quartly, Jules (10 October 2002). "S Korea knocks Taiwan off perch". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  7. ^ Ou, Chien-chih (17 March 2019). "中職／膝傷困擾引退 蔡仲南：興農牛讓我看清事實". ETtoday (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  8. ^ Liu, Chia-chun (20 October 2016). "南華大學棒球隊正式成軍 品德與球技並重". Life News Agency (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 16 April 2024.