One Dodger will be setting All-Star Game history Tuesday night in Anaheim.
Hong-Chih Kuo will become the first ever Taiwanese All-Star in MLB history. It’s no small honor in a baseball crazy country like Taiwan.
Kou just found out Sunday morning, when General Manager Med Colletti called him.
"Why did Ned call me?" Kuo said he recalled thinking. "I thought it was a bad thing."
Popular Atlanta Braves rookie outfielder got injured, opening up a spot on the National League roster. National League manager Charlie Manuel (of the Philadelphia Phillies) wanted one more pitcher in the rotation, so he first reached out to the Astros' Billy Wagner. But he has a sore ankle he wants to rest.
So now you have Kuo setting history.
If we had to guess, expect Kou to get called in for a situational out -- at one point when the National League really needs to get out a left-handed American League slugger. Left-handers are 0-for-30 against Kuo this season. Frankly, nobody is hitting him really well, his has a 1.03 ERA and a 3-1 record for the Dodgers in a set-up role.
Kuo will not be the only Dodger there -- outfielder Andre Ethier will start in center field for the National league; also on the roster are closer Jonathan Broxton and shortstop Rafael Furcal.
A year ago, you never would have pictured Kuo the All-Star. Maybe Kuo the released guy. He had had trouble bouncing back from his fourth elbow operation and couldn’t buy a strike.
Now, he’s making history.
