Athlete: Robin Hu
Gamespeed Training: Off Season Conditioning & Velocity
Duration: 3 years.
The Rochester Red Wings were savoring a 4-3 victory over the Durham Bulls early Tuesday afternoon when pitching coach Marty Mason emerged from his office and stopped winning pitcher Chih-Wei Hu in the clubhouse hallway.
Mason had a little memento for Hu to take back to Fort Myers: the lineup card from an impressive Triple-A debut.
The Wings are predicting it was the first of many victories at this level — and perhaps beyond.
“I just feel very good,” Hu said after making the special spot start in the 11:05 a.m. school-day special at Frontier Field.
Hu, a 21-year-old native of Taichung, Taiwan, allowed just one run and two hits in six innings, walking four and striking out six. Brock Peterson’s two-run homer in the fourth powered the offense.
“What a great job that kid did,” manager Mike Quade said. “I’m anxious to see him down the road career wise. He’s got good stuff.”
Hu’s curve was especially effective and he even threw an occasional palm ball, a pitch that few pitchers — maybe no pitchers? — in today’s game throw.
BASEBALL-REFERENCE.COM
Chih-Wei Hu Minor League Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com
“It’s just another version of the change but it usually has really good downward motion, similar to a split (finger),” Quade said.
That palm ball made its debut in the second inning, and Jake Elmore, a .314 hitter, went chasing and missing to strike out.
“I’ve never even caught a palm ball before,” catcher Eric Fryer said.
Hu, signed out of Taiwan by the Minnesota Twins in 2013 for around $200,000, said he added the pitch to his repertoire over the past few years. “I need a weapon,” he said. “It has good movement and it changes my tempo.”
He is one of the brightest pitching prospects for the Twins. Since starting his pro career in 2013, he has combined 15-2 record and 1.94 ERA in rookie, Class-A and now one Triple-A start, allowing 100 hits and 33 walks while striking out 145.
Hu was promoted from the Class-A Fort Myers Miracle to ease the burden on the Wings pitching staff created by Tuesday’s day/night doubleheader. He’ll be rejoining the Miracle Wednesday.
In six starts in the Florida State League, the 6-foot-1, 209-pound right-hander was 4-0 with a microscopic 1.03 ERA. He had walked just six, struck out 36 and opponents were hitting only .185 against him.
Triple-A, of course, is a whole new ball game. Hitters are more experienced, more patient, more dangerous.
Hu, however, was not intimidated.
“He had good poise, he attacked the hitters,” Fryer said.
There were first-inning jitters, perhaps evident by a walk to Alexi Casilla, the second batter of the game.
“I was a little bit nervous, a little bit scared,” Hu said.
Still, he retired eight of the first nine batters he faced, didn’t allow a hit until the third and the run he allowed came in the fifth.
“Usually it’s about command,” Quade said of the challenges facing a newcomer to Triple-A. “They (the opposition) haven’t seen him so he should have a little bit of a jump on them, at least the first couple times through the lineup.
“You hope he follows ‘Fry’ and understands Fry’s preparation of the opposition. He was pretty mature for a guy at 21, knowing what he needs to do.”
KEVINO@DemocratandChronicle.com
