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 ...

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 leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

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 dr ...

, 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 (A ...

(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) East division. The Braves were founded in ...

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 lea ...

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 ...

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 s ...

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) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

, 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) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

, from to .

Background

Chen was born in Panama to José and Luisa Chen. He is of Chinese 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 main ...

. 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 n ...

'', 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

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. 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 f ...

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

. 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 fran ...

. 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

on July 12, 2000 (with Jimmy Osting) for Andy Ashby. 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

on July 27, 2001, for Dennis Cook and Turk Wendell. 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 commer ...

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.

on September 21. Chen was traded again on April 5, 2002 to the

(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 Dicky Angel Gonzalez Vallenilla (born December 21, 1978) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Tokyo Yakult Swallo ...

) for

Phil Seibel Philip Matthew Seibel (born January 28, 1979) is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. Biography Seibel attended the University of Texas, where he pitched for the Texas Longhorns baseball team from 1998 to 2000. He also pitched for ...

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

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

on March 14, 2003. He appeared in only 11 games and had an ERA of 6.00 with the Astros. The

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 The Syracuse Mets are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are located in Syracuse, New York, and play their home games at NBT Bank Stadium, which opened in 1997 and ha ...

. He was sent to the

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 thr ...

, 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 curv ...

. Chen played for the Panamanian team at the

2006 World Baseball Classic The 2006 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was the inaugural tournament between national baseball teams that included players from Major League Baseball. It was held from March 3 to 20 in stadiums that are in and around Tokyo, Japan; San Juan, Puert ...

. 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 Caribb ...

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 ...

. 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 numb ...

(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 roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

. 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: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

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

. 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) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion ...

. 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 h ...

. 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) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...

, 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 t ...

, 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

. 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. 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

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) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...

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, sewa ...

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