Kuo-Chang Lo

From BR Bullpen

Kuo-Chang Lo (羅國璋)

  • Bats Right, Throws Right
  • Height 5' 7", Weight 161 lb.

BR register page

Biographical Information[edit]

Kuo-Chang Lo has played and coached in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. He is a 2-time Olympic performer who won four Gold Gloves in his pro career. Lo was with the Taiwan national team from 1985-1993 before turning pro.

Lo played for Taiwan in the 1983 World Junior Championship, 1985 Intercontinental Cup, 1986 Baseball World Cup, 1987 Asian Championship and 1987 Intercontinental Cup. He hit .280/.294/.300 as Taiwan's second baseman in the 1988 Baseball World Cup, with 4 steals in 5 tries. He tied for 8th in the Cup in swipes. He represented Taiwan in the 1988 Olympics, 1989 Asian Championship, 1989 Intercontinental Cup, 1990 Goodwill Games and 1990 Asian Games. In the '89 Cup, he joined Omar Linares, Antonio Pacheco and Efraín García on the All-Star infield and was the lone player chosen as an All-Star from a team that missed round two.

During the 1990 Baseball World Cup, the Hsinchu native hit .441/.486/.706 with 8 runs in 9 games; he made four errors at shortstop, though. He led Taiwan's offense in the Cup. Lo hit .382/.447/.481 with 8 runs in 9 games in the 1991 Intercontinental Cup. He batted .333 in the 1991 Asian Championship. In the 1992 Olympics, Lo was 2 for 4 as Taiwan's backup shortstop. His last tournament appearance was in the 1993 Asian Championship, when he was named the All-Star shortstop.

Lo turned pro in 1994 with the President Lions, hitting .316/.360/.364 and winning a Gold Glove at shortstop, where he turned 153 straight chances without an error at one point. He also won Rookie of the Year honors in the CPBL that season. In 1995, he slumped to .265/.316/.316. He hit .258/.304/.297 in 1996 and led the league with 27 sacrifice hits. In the 1996 Taiwan Series, he hit .333/.417/.333 to help the Lions beta the Wei Chuan Dragons in 6 games. He again won the Gold Glove at shortstop. In 1997, he hit .256/.333/.304 and took home his third Gold Glove. He batted .247/.315/.274 in 1998 and .224/.270/.262 in 1999.

In 2000, Lo hit .228/.279/.242 but led the CPBL with 27 sacrifice hits. He was 4-for-25 in the 2000 Taiwan Series, and he collected another title as the Lions beat the Sinon Bulls in 7 games. During 2001, he fell to .214/.255/.239 and led the league with 29 sacrifice hits. He won a Gold Glove at second base. He wrapped up his playing career in 2002, hitting .208/.284/.242, his average having fallen all but one of his 9 professional seasons. After retiring as a player, Lo became a defensive coach with the Lions. He was interim manager for part of 2007, posting a 23-10 record. He then returned to a coaching role with the Lions and had another interim managerial gig in 2013 (2-1).

Overall, Lo hit .251/.307/.289 with 649 hits, 80 doubles and 50 steals in 9 seasons in the CPBL. As of 2023, he was still the all-time sacrifice bunts leader with 172, 2 ahead of Sheng-Wei Wang.

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