Shih-Chin Tsai

Shih-Chin Tsai (蔡士勤)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 209 lb.

• School Chinese Culture University
• High School Nan-Ying Vocational High School

• Born October 3, 1976 in Tainan City Taiwan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Shih-Chin Tsai pitched for the Taiwanese national team and in the TML and the CPBL. His brother is CPBL outfielder Shih-Fan Tsai

Tsai represented Taiwan in the 1991 World Youth Championship and 1995 Intercontinental Cup. In the latter event, he was 1-0 with 9 K in 7 IP, allowing only one hit and no runs. He got the win over Jose Becerra and Spain. He tied Rafael Rivera and Danny Wout for the tourney lead in ERA. The Chianan Luka drafted Tsai in the second round of the 2000 TML draft. Tsai joined the bullpen of the Luka, had a 4.58 ERA in 40 appearances, and was selected into the All-Star Game as a rookie. Tsai joined the rotation in 2001, started 21 games with a 3.91 ERA, but collected a league-leading 9 losses. He was moved from the rotation the next year, and improved to a 3.35 ERA in 32 appearances.

When the two league merged in 2003, Tsai was assigned to the Macoto Gida. He became an important part of Gida's rotation in that season, started 19 games with a 4.33 ERA. He came back to the bullpen and pitched 31 games with a 3.32 ERA in 2004. However, Tsai faced knee injuries, which limited him into 18, 11, 13 games played respectively in the next three years. When his ERA rose to a terrible 7.98 in 2007, the team (now known as the Macoto Cobras) released Tsai in the middle of this season.

The Uni-President Lions picked him up, but Tsai still couldn't get back his stuff. His ERA was 5.26 in 2007 and 5.02 in 2008. The Tainan native amazingly came back in 2009, as he pitched 22 games with an outstanding 2.90 ERA, and collected 5 holds. Although his stats were still not bad for a mid-inning reliever with a 3.52 ERA in 24 games, 35-year-old Tsai announced his retirement after the 2010 season. After leaving pro baseball, Tsai became a college coach and coached Tatung Institute of Commerce and Industry from 2013 to 2015.

Tsai's repertoire included a fastball (peak 90 mph), slider, curveball, changeup and forkball.

Overall, Tsai was 28-42 with a 4.09 ERA and pitched 389 innings in eleven seasons in the CPBL and TML.

Sources

• Defunct IBAF site
• CPBL Player Page
• Taiwan Baseball Wiki