Bruce Kastulo Chen (born June 19, 1977), is a
Panamanian
Panamanians (Spanish: ''Panameños'') are people identified with Panama, a transcontinental country in Central America (a region within North America) and South America, whose connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For m ...
former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
, who played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
,
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
,
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
,
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
,
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
,
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
,
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
,
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
,
Texas Rangers,
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
, and
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
, from to .
Background
Chen was born in Panama to José and Luisa Chen. He is of
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
descent. His paternal grandfather, Kuen Chin Chan Lee, joined his brothers and other relatives in Panama at age nine during the
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
. Chen's maternal grandmother, Kuen Yin Liu de Laffo, was born in Panama, but her family had to return to China after fire destroyed their home. After years of hard labor, she returned to Panama at age 24. Both of Chen's grandparents have died. In a 2006 article in ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', Chen said that he would like to visit China to better understand his roots.
Chen has a brother, Kastulo, and a sister, Karla.
Chen attended Panamerican Institute in Panama City.
[
]
Playing career
Early career
Braves
Chen signed with the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
as an amateur free agent on July 1, 1993. He made the South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
All-Star team in 1997 when he went 12-7 with a 3.51 ERA in 28 starts for the Macon Braves
Macon may refer to:
Places Belgium
*Macon, Belgium
France
*Mâcon
** Ancient Diocese of Mâcon
**Mâcon, another name for the Mâconnais wine from that region
United States of America
* Macon, Alabama
* Macon, Georgia
* Macon, Illinois
*Macon ...
. In 1998 he made 23 starts for the Greenville Braves
The Greenville Braves were an American minor league baseball franchise, based in Greenville, South Carolina, that served as the Class AA farm team of the Atlanta Braves between 1984 and 2004. The Braves played in Greenville Municipal Stadium for ...
and was 13-7 with a 3.29 ERA. He was selected by the Southern League as an All-Star and the Most Outstanding Pitcher. He was also a Double-A All-Star, Baseball America
''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
minor league All-Star and the Braves minor league pitcher of the year.
He made his MLB debut with the Braves on September 7, 1998 against the New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
. He started the game but only lasted three innings while allowing 4 runs on 6 hits. He picked up his first win, when he went seven innings on September 12 against the Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
. He remained with the Braves through mid-2000, pitching in 42 games (starting 11) and was 8-2 with a 4.28 ERA.
Phillies
He was traded by the Braves to the Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
on July 12, 2000 (with Jimmy Osting
James Michael Osting (born April 7, 1977) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Osting was drafted in the fourth round of the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves. In 2000, he was traded along with Bruce Chen to the Phil ...
) for Andy Ashby
Andrew Jason Ashby (born July 11, 1967) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, and Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. ...
. He was a full-time starter with the Phillies, starting 31 games with a 7-9 record and 4.28 ERA. While playing for the Phillies, Chen had a loyal group of fans known as "The Chen Pen".
Middle career
The Phillies traded him to the New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
on July 27, 2001, for Dennis Cook
Dennis Bryan Cook (born October 4, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the San Francisco Giants (–), Philadelphia Phillies (1989–, ), Los Angeles Dodgers (1990–), Clevelan ...
and Turk Wendell
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...
. He made 11 starts (and 1 relief appearance) for the Mets and was 3-2 with a 4.61 ERA, and started the first game played by the Mets after the September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
versus the Braves at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.[Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...](_blank)
(with Luis Figueroa, Saul Rivera
Saul (; he, , ; , ; ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the first monarch of the United Kingdom of Israel. His reign, traditionally placed in the late 11th century BCE, supposedly marked the transition of Israel and Judah from a scattered t ...
and Dicky Gonzalez) for Phil Seibel, Scott Strickland
Scott Michael Strickland (born April 26, 1976) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) relief pitcher who played for several teams between 1999 and 2010.
Amateur career
A native of Houston, Texas, Strickland attended the University of ...
and Matt Watson. He made 15 appearances (4 starts) for the Expos and was 2-3 with a 6.99 ERA.
He was traded for the fourth time, on June 14, 2002, to the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
for Jim Brower
James Robert Brower (born December 29, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played for eight Major League Baseball (MLB) teams: the Cleveland Indians (-), Cincinnati Reds (-), Montreal Expos (2002), San Francisco Giants ( ...
. He only made 1 start for the Reds and appeared in relief 39 times, with a 4.31 ERA. Released by the Reds, he was signed as a free agent by the Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
on March 14, 2003. He appeared in only 11 games and had an ERA of 6.00 with the Astros. The Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
selected him off waivers from the Astros on May 7, 2003. He appeared in 5 games for the Red Sox, with 2 starts and had a 5.11 ERA.
He signed as a free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
on November 26, 2003. He made 3 starts in AAA with the Syracuse SkyChiefs. He was sent to the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
on May 1, 2004. He added a changeup to his repertoire of pitches, which includes an 87–90 mph fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...
, and a slow 12–6 curveball
In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
.
Chen played for the Panamanian team at the 2006 World Baseball Classic.[ He threw five innings, giving up four hits, two runs (both earned), and a walk, with three strikeouts, against a powerful ]Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
team in the opening round of the tournament at San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
.
During the 2006 regular season, he went 0–7 with a 6.93 earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA), starting 12 games, but appearing in 28 others coming out of the bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...
. The Orioles declined to re–sign Chen, and he filed for free agency
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is ...
on November 1, .
Chen signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers on February 6, , with an invitation to spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
. Chen made the Rangers' opening day roster, taking a spot in the bullpen. He was reported to have reworked his contract to accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
if room was needed on the roster.
Later career
Royals
Chen pitched for Panama again at the 2009 World Baseball Classic
The 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international baseball competition. It began on 5 9 and finished 5 26.
Unlike in 2006, when the round-robin format of the first two rounds led to some eliminations being decided by run-difference ti ...
. On March 1, , Chen signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
. He made his debut with the Royals on June 27, 2009. He allowed 4 runs in 7 innings. Chen's second start was much better, as he only gave up two runs on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts. On August 6, 2009, Chen won his first major league game since October 2, 2005.
Chen re-signed a minor league contract with the Royals on December 11, 2009. On April 26, 2010, he earned his first MLB save, in a 3–1 Royals victory over the Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
. He threw seven perfect innings before allowing a hit on July 20, 2010 against the Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
. On October 1, 2010, in his last start of the season, Chen threw a two-hit shutout against the Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...
, striking out seven and only walking two. It was the first shutout he threw in his Major League career. He finished the season with a 12–7 record, and an ERA of 4.17.
Bruce had a productive 2011 season, posting a 12–8 record with a 3.77 ERA. On November 23, 2011, Chen agreed to a two-year deal to return to the Royals. In 2012, Chen finished with an 11-14 record and posted an ERA of 5.07. Despite the regression, Chen threw 191.2 innings (2nd highest career total) and had a career high 140 strikeouts. Even though Panama did not qualify for the 2013 World Baseball Classic
The 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, held from March 2 to March 19, 2013. This was the third iteration of the WBC, following the two previous tournaments, held in 2006 and 2009.
Unlike ...
, Chen was contacted by Team China about the possibility of playing for them in the Classic.
He returned to the Royals for the 2014 season, agreeing to a one-year contract. On July 22, he tied Mariano Rivera for most wins earned by a Panamanian-born player with 82. He was designated for assignment on August 29, 2014, and released on September 5.
Indians
On February 16, 2015, he agreed to a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
. The Indians purchased his contract and added him to the active roster on May 9. After earning a 12.79 ERA in innings, Chen was designated for assignment on May 16. He announced his retirement from baseball two days later.[Chen announces retirement]
MLB.com
MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...
. May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
Chen came out of retirement to pitch for Team China in the 2017 World Baseball Classic
The 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, composed of 16 competing nations, held from March 6 to March 22, 2017. It was the fourth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. The first-round hosts ...
.
Post-playing career
Following his retirement, Chen worked as a Cultural Development Adviser for the Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
organization. As of November 25, 2017, he was no longer with the Indians, and had moved to the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
organization to serve as their Latin America Field Coordinator.
Personal
Chen and his wife Mary have three daughters. Chen is the only alumnus of the Panamerican Institute to make the major leagues. He has studied civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...
during the baseball off-season at Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
.
References
External links
Bruce Chen
at Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Bruce
1977 births
Living people
Atlanta Braves players
Baltimore Orioles players
Boston Red Sox players
Cincinnati Reds players
Cleveland Indians players
Columbus Clippers players
Danville Braves players
Eugene Emeralds players
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball players
Greenville Braves players
Gulf Coast Braves players
Houston Astros players
Indios de Mayagüez players
Panamanian expatriate baseball players in Puerto Rico
Kansas City Royals players
Los Angeles Dodgers personnel
Macon Braves players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Major League Baseball players from Panama
Montreal Expos players
New York Mets players
Northwest Arkansas Naturals players
Oklahoma RedHawks players
Omaha Royals players
Omaha Storm Chasers players
Ottawa Lynx players
Panamanian people of Chinese descent
Panamanian expatriate baseball players in Canada
Panamanian expatriate baseball players in the United States
Pawtucket Red Sox players
Philadelphia Phillies players
Reading Phillies players
Richmond Braves players
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons players
Sportspeople from Panama City
Sportspeople of Chinese descent
Syracuse SkyChiefs players
Texas Rangers players
Tiburones de La Guaira players
Panamanian expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
2006 World Baseball Classic players
2009 World Baseball Classic players
2017 World Baseball Classic players