Chang-Heng Hsieh

From BR Bullpen

Chang-Heng Hsieh (謝長亨)

  • Bats Right, Throws Right
  • Height 5' 10", Weight 178 lb.

BR register page

Biographical Information[edit]

Chang-Heng Hsieh was the first pitcher in the CPBL to reach 100 career wins. He later became a coach, manager and broadcaster. His main pitch was a forkball. His nephew is former CPBL outfielder Hsuan-Jen Hsieh.

Hsieh pitched for Taiwan in the 1986 Amateur World Series and 1987 World Port Tournament. He played for Isuzu Motors in Japan's industrial leagues. Hsieh was drafted by the Uni-President Lions in the first round of the 1990 CPBL Draft, and he soon became their ace in 1991. On May 25, he collected 11 strikeouts against the Mercuries Tigers, and became the first Lions local pitcher to strike out 10 in a game. He was the starter of the 1991 CPBL All-Star Game 1, and he pitched 3 innings with a run allowed. He then pitched 3 shutout innings to get the win in Game 3. Hsieh was 11-9 with a 2.89 ERA, ranking 9th in ERA (1.00 behind Ping-Yang Huang), 4th in complete games (8 behind Huang), 2nd in strikeouts (7 behind Enrique Burgos) and 4th in wins (2 behind Joe Strong and Yi-Hsin Chen). In the 1991 Taiwan Series, Hsieh relieved Fu-Ming Tu in the 6th inning in Game 1, and he pitched 2 shutout innings with a run allowed. He then started in Game 3, pitching 9 innings with 8 strikeouts and only allowing 4 runs. However, Longo Garcia outdueled him and Hsieh got the loss. Hsieh was the starter of Game 7, but he allowed 4 runs in 3 innings. The Lions still beat the Wei-Chuan Dragons to win their first Taiwan Series title.

The Tainan native was 9-7 with a 2.89 ERA in 1992, and he was also selected into the 1992 CPBL All-Star Game. Hsieh pitched 3 innings while allowing a solo shot to Freddy Tiburcio in Game 1, then pitched 2 shutout innings in Game 2. He ranked 5th in ERA (0.95 behind Julio Solano), 4th in wins (7 behind Chen) and 6th in strikeouts (48 behind Burgos). He was still solid in 1993, having a 13-9 record with a 2.63 ERA and led the league with 3 shutouts. He ranked 7th in ERA (.76 behind Chen), 5th in wins (9 behind Jose Nunez) and 4th in strikeouts (52 behind Huang). He pitched an inning and gave up a run in the 1993 CPBL All-Star Game. In the 1993 Taiwan Series, Hsieh allowed 3 runs in 5 innings in Game 2 and he got the loss. He then pitched 5 2/3 innings with 3 runs allowed in Game 5 to get the win. The Brother Elephants still beat the Lions in 5 games.

Hsieh had a 12-7 record with a 2.91 ERA in 1994, ranked 8th in ERA (.83 behind Nunez), 5th in wins (10 behind Chen) and 6th in strikeouts (99 behind Will Flynt). He extended his solid pitching in 1995, and he was 12-11 with a 2.81 ERA. Hsieh ranked 6th in ERA (.92 behind Nunez), 4th in wins (8 behind Chin-Hsing Kuo) and 6th in strikeouts (58 behind Nunez). He slumped to 12-7 with a 3.92 ERA in 1996, but he still led the league with 3 shutouts. He bounced back in 1997 as he was 7-3 with a 2.39 ERA.

The ace of the Lions was selected into the 1998 CPBL All-Star Game, and he pitched 2 shutout innings. He ended up 6-12 with a 2.98 ERA and ranked 6th in ERA (.89 behind Kevin Henthorne). He was 10-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 1999, and he was 9th in ERA (.99 behind Carlos Mirabal). Hsieh was selected into the 2000 CPBL All-Star Game, and he pitched 3 shutout innings. He ended up 7-11 with a 3.50 ERA, and he won the CPBL Gold Glove. In the 2000 Taiwan Series, Hsieh started in Game 3 against the Sinon Bulls, and he pitched 7 shutout innings and got the win. The Lions beat the Bulls in 7 games.

Hsieh had a 10.13 ERA and only one decision in his final season, 2001, but the decision was a win on April 28 to give him 100 for his career. He was the first CPBL hurler to reach triple digits in wins. He then retired and become the Lions' pitching coach in 2002. From 2003-2005, he managed the Lions, going 108-79-13 his first two seasons but slipping to 24-26 in 2005 before being fired. He became a commentator for 2006 before being hired as the pitching coach of the China Trust Whales. In 2007, he became the Whales manager, going 46-52-2 his first year and only 39-61 in 2008. He was manager of the Brother Elephants in 2013, going 55-65. After a 50-66-4 finish in 2014, he was let go. Hsieh has coached for Taiwan's national team, including in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, 2007 Baseball World Cup, 2007 Asian Championship and 2008 Olympics.

Overall, Hsieh was 100-81 with a 3.02 ERA, struck out 855 and pitched 1,491 2/3 innings in 11 seasons in the CPBL. As of 2023, he was 4th in wins (48 behind Wei-Lun Pan), 3rd in complete games (21 behind Chen), 4th in shutouts (5 behind Chen), 4th in innings (604 2/3 behind Pan), 4th in losses (22 behind Pan) and 5th in strikeouts (431 behind Osvaldo Martínez). He was 339-372 as a manager, and he ranked 3rd in wins (652 behind I-Chung Hong) and 4th in losses (472 behind Hong).

Sources[edit]

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