Notes: Kuo keeps racking up K's
03/18/2006LAKELAND, Fla. -- For more than 20 years, the Dodgers have searched for a left-handed reliever as fearless and forceful as Steve Howe, and they might have found the real deal in Hong-Chih Kuo, whose outing Saturday was the stuff that wins jobs in Spring Training.
In fact, Ken Howell and Steve Yeager, who were teammates of Howe and coached Kuo at Double-A Jacksonville last year, said the lefty's style is reminiscent of Howe.
"Where he resembles Howe is that he goes right after guys," said Howell. "He throws hard and throws strikes. He attacks the zone and surprises right-handed hitters who wait for him to nibble. He's fun to watch."
Kuo struck out the first four Detroit batters he faced on Saturday and went two innings for the first time this spring. He has allowed only one hit with eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. He said earlier preparation to compete for Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic has him in top shape, even though he allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings in that tournament.
"The kid has been outstanding the last couple of times," said manager Grady Little. "He was in complete command of the ballgame. He didn't back off any hitter -- his stuff was outstanding. What more can you say?"
You can say that Kuo is a medical marvel, a victim of two Tommy John surgeries that limited him to only 44 1/3 innings during his first five professional seasons after signing for a $1.25 million bonus. In a spectacular professional debut, he struck out seven of 10 batters and blew out his elbow. It's been a monumentally frustrating ride ever since.
In a September callup last year, Kuo struck out 10 in 5 1/3 innings. Although a gigantic home run hit by Barry Bonds made the SportsCenter highlights, Kuo was literally unhittable for right-handed batters (0-for-10), which makes him something special. Now's he's working on a slider -- another Howe money pitch.
Kuo said this is the first time he's felt comfortable pitching a second inning, and the next test is to pitch on consecutive days. If he clears that hurdle, the 24-year-old will be hard to keep off the Major League staff.
What about Carter? For all the fuss over Kuo, nobody in camp is having a better Spring Training than Lance Carter.
Ironically, Carter gives the Dodgers two relievers who have had two Tommy John operations. He missed the 1997 and 2001 seasons, but made it all the way to the All-Star team with the Devil Rays, and he would seem to have a job locked up this spring with the equivalent of a complete-game shutout -- nine scoreless innings.
"He's done nothing around here to turn a person off -- in the clubhouse or on the mound," said Little. "He's productive. You can't help but like everything he does. He doesn't wow you with his stuff. All he does is get people out."
And Osoria? With all of the veteran arms in camp, there didn't seem to be room for Franquelis Osoria a few weeks ago, but after another shutout inning Saturday, the sinkerballer again drew praise from Little.
"That's the second time for him with outstanding stuff," the skipper said. "We're not ignoring people who throw the ball like that and get good results."
Yhency Brazoban pitched two innings, the second better than the first. He's playing catch up after missing two weeks with a sore shoulder, and he has posted a 9.64 ERA thus far.
On offense: James Loney continued another torrid spring with three hits on Saturday to raise his average to .452, while Russell Martin (.348) delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single in the ninth inning to lift the Dodgers to a 3-2 victory over the Tigers.
Navarro continues improvement: The club is now cautiously optimistic that catcher Dioner Navarro will be healthy enough to start the season behind the plate. Navarro suffered a strained hamstring Wednesday, but after an injection, he has responded better than originally anticipated.
Werth's improvement negligible: Jayson Werth, into his second year with a wrist injury, said he swung a fungo at "about 30 percent," but when he tried to roll his wrist, "it bites." He remains out indefinitely.
TV on Sunday: Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully will be at the microphone for the first time this spring on Sunday. This is Scully's 57th season with the Dodgers.
Ladies Day: The 5th annual Ladies Spring Training Day at Dodgertown will be held Tuesday from 4-6 p.m. PT. Women from across the region can come out and receive special instruction from Dodgers players and staff. There will be throwing, batting, base running and fielding stations, along with guest lectures from Dodgers personnel.
In May 2005, the Dodgers, led by vice chairman and president Jamie McCourt, launched the Women's Initiative and Network (WIN) program to develop and expand their female audience. The program aims to provide women of all ages and backgrounds with unique opportunities to learn about baseball and experience the fun of attending a game at Dodger Stadium.
Source: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/
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