PHOTO: Ex-Dodger reliever Hong-Chih Kuo throws first pitch back at former stomping ground

Former Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo was the guest of honor at Chavez Ravine yesterday. The Taiwanese hurler threw out the first pitch on his former stomping ground at Dodger Stadium in the opener of the Freeway Series between the Dodgers and the LA Angels.

Hong-Chih Kuo was all smiles in his return to Los Angeles (Image from Dodger Insider's X)

Hong-Chih Kuo was born in Tainan, Taiwan on July 23, 1981. In 1999, he was signed as an international free agent by the Dodgers with a signing bonus of $1.25 million.

However, he wouldn't make his MLB debut until September 2005 because of injury problems along the way, including two Tommy John surgeries. The first was in 2000 while the latter was in 2003.

Kuo carved out a respectable role and became one of the more dependable arms in the bullpen during his stint with the Dodgers. In 2010, he was tasked with closing some games for the squad replacing Jonathan Broxton. The lefty delivered, posting a scintillating 1.20 ERA in 56 appearances with 12 saves and a 3-2 record. He would also be named to his lone All-Star selection that year.

Kuo made his last MLB appearance on September 24, 2011, after eight major league seasons.

Hong-Chih Kuo's career post-MLB

After being released by the Dodgers, Kuo signed with other MLB organizations, namely the Seattle Mariners, the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres. However, he did not make any major league appearances with these teams as the contracts were either non-guaranteed or minor league deals.

His next appearance in a top-tier league was in 2013 with the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. The Lions are the most successful team in the CPBL with 10 championships. Kuo would be released by the Lions at the end of 2016.

In 2017, Kuo signed with the Fubon Guardians in the same league. After playing for two seasons, he announced his retirement from competitive play after the Guardians were eliminated in the 2018 CPBL postseason by his former squad.

Outside of professional play, Kuo is a two-time baseball medalist in the Asian Games while playing for his home country, Taiwan. He won silver in the 2002 games in Busan, South Korea, and achieved the gold in the 2006 edition played in Doha, Qatar.