Taiwan's ‘Cockroach' a Marvel of Persistence
In a career of painful ups and downs, 2010 has turned out to be a highlight for baseball player Kuo Hong-chih. In July, Kuo became the first-ever Taiwanese-born player to appear in Major League Baseball's All-Star game. Kuo played for the National League team, which beat the American League 3-1.
His appearance in the All-Star game is the pinnacle of a career beset by adversity. Kuo has faced so many physical challenges that he has spent more time in rehabilitation than actually pitching. Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1999, Kuo underwent elbow surgeries in 2000 and 2003, before making his debut with the Dodgers in 2005. Even today, he requires hours of treatment and exercise to prepare for a game.
Kuo has had four elbow operations. Yet, despite these setbacks, he has managed to earn praise in a very competitive sport. In 2008, fans voted him the Setup Man of the Year. Dodgers' trainer Stan Conte has the utmost admiration for Kuo. “We call him, affectionately, ‘the cockroach,' because you just can't kill him,” Conte told reporters, adding, “he epitomizes the ultimate player.” Indeed, Kuo's persistence has earned him an enormous amount of respect from his teammates and fans alike.
不死鳥郭泓志 傲人職涯新高點
歷經了滿是苦痛的跌宕起伏，棒球選手郭泓志在二○一○年為自己的投手生涯寫下精采的一頁。七月時，小小郭成為第一位在大聯盟明星賽登板的台灣選手。他代表國家聯盟出賽，該隊以三比一的成績擊敗了美國聯盟。
能在明星賽中出場，對郭泓志來說是其困境重重球員生涯的頂點。他面臨著種種身體上的考驗，以致於花在復健上的時間比實際投球還多。一九九九年獲洛杉磯道奇隊徵召的郭泓志在二○○五年首次於道奇隊亮相前，就已歷經了二○○○年和二○○三年的手肘手術。即便是今日，在賽前準備時，他都還需要數小時的治療和運動。
郭泓志動過四次手肘手術。儘管面臨了這些挫折，他依舊試圖在棒球這個極度競爭的運動領域中贏得大家的讚揚。二○○八年時，郭泓志獲球迷票選為「最佳佈局投手」。道奇隊訓練員史丹‧康提也對他讚譽有加。「我們感性地稱他為『蟑螂』，因為你就是打不死他，」康提這麼向記者表示，他還補充道，「他是終極球員的最佳典範」。的確，郭泓志的堅持不懈贏得隊友和球迷的高度重視。
資料來源：biz 互動英語
留言列表
