Yu-Cheng Liao

Yu-Cheng Liao (廖于誠) (The Golden Submarine)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 176 lb.

• School National College of Physical Education and Sports
• High School Chung-Hua High School

• Born September 4, 1980 in Taoyuan County Taiwan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Submarine pitcher Yu-Cheng Liao won the Chinese Professional Baseball League ERA title in 2008. With an unusual mechanic, Liao could throw his fastball topping out at 86 mph.

Liao was drafted by the Brother Elephants in the first round of the 2004 CPBL Draft. He had a 6.00 ERA in one game in 2005, and he went 0-3 with a 4.40 ERA in 2006. Liao improved to 4-7, 3.32 in 2007. He was chosen for the Taiwan national team for the 2007 Baseball World Cup; in the event, he allowed 13 hits and 6 runs in 8 innings but he did get the win over Spain. Liao improved to 11-3, 2.31 in 2008 and led the CPBL in ERA by .14 over Mike Johnson. Liao won the CPBL Most Improved Player Award this year, and he was 4th in wins (9 behind Johnson) and 5th in strikeouts (102, 30 behind Fu-Te Ni). He was named the starter of the 2008 CPBL All-Star Game, and he pitched a shutout inning. In the 2008 Taiwan Series, Liao started in the opener and he won over Luther Hackman as he only allowed a run in 5 1/3 innings. He then started in Game 5, but he allowed 4 runs in 5 innings and got the loss. The Brothers were beaten by the Uni-President Lions in 5 games.

In the 2009 World Baseball Classic, Liao allowed one run in three innings against South Korea, the eventual runner-up. On March 29, 2009, Liao's finger started bleeding in the first inning. He had the team doctor apply superglue and remained on the hill for four more shutout innings, leaving with a 1-0 lead. Liao was 11-6 with a 3.31 ERA in 2009. He was third in wins behind Itsuki Shoda and Aaron Rakers and just lost the ERA title, .01 behind Rakers. He was named the starter of the 2009 CPBL All-Star Game, and he pitched 2 shutout innings. He pitched 9 1/3 innings in 2 starts in the 2009 Taiwan Series, but he allowed 7 runs and the Lions beat the Brothers in 7 games again. In January 2010, Liao admitted to taking 600,000 NT in 2007 to throw a game. The Elephants released him following this admission, and he was banned for life.

Overall, Liao was 26-19 with a 3.11 ERA, struck out 259 and pitched 423 innings in 5 seasons in the CPBL.

Sources

• IBAF
• Taiwan Baseball Wiki
• Taiwan Baseball Blog
• CPBL.com Bio