Chen Chen-wei Reminds Leadoff Hitter Hsu Pin-jung to Be Patient with First Pitch
Rakuten Monkeys' Hsu Pin-jung, often batting as a leadoff hitter, received advice from senior player Chen Chen-wei to 'hit fewer first pitches.' This strategic guidance aims to help him observe the pitcher's condition and provide more information for himself and his teammates.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 26, 2026 at 17:27
- 🔍 Collected: April 26, 2026 at 17:31 (3 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 26, 2026 at 17:42 (10 min after Collected)
## Central News
(Central News Agency, Taoyuan, April 26) Rakuten Monkeys infielder Hsu Pin-jung has been frequently batting as the leadoff hitter in recent games. Senior player Chen Chen-wei shared his experience, reminding Hsu to "hit fewer first pitches." Hsu Pin-jung stated that seeing more pitches allows him to observe the pitcher's situation, providing more information for himself and his teammates during at-bats.
On the whiteboard for the Monkeys' starting lineup today against the Wei Chuan Dragons, there was a red note under Hsu Pin-jung's name at the leadoff spot, which read "hit fewer first pitches." This was a reminder left by senior player Chen Chen-wei.
In yesterday's game against the Wei Chuan Dragons, Hsu Pin-jung was out on the first pitch in both the 1st and 8th innings. Before the game, Chen Chen-wei also seriously shared his experience, advising that if Hsu wants to hit the first pitch, he should pick a good location and aim for a long hit.
Hsu Pin-jung mentioned that especially when facing experienced Wei Chuan Dragons starting pitcher Bryan Woodall yesterday, if he is too eager to attack the first pitch, subsequent batters won't have many pitches to observe, making it difficult to quickly grasp the pitcher's condition, and the team's offensive rhythm could be easily disrupted.
Hsu Pin-jung is self-aware that as a leadoff hitter, if he can battle for 7 or 8 pitches in the first at-bat of the game, even if it doesn't result in a hit, it allows subsequent batters to observe the pitcher's condition for the day. Then, if there's a good hitting opportunity in later at-bats, he himself will know better how to respond. He reflected that not doing this and not helping the team was selfish.
Hsu Pin-jung reflected that every day has different situations, but every day is also a new beginning. The outcome against the Dragons yesterday was not good, possibly due to a lack of proper strategy, not a major technical issue. He believes the gap in thinking can be adjusted more quickly. Hsu Pin-jung has played 14 games in the first team this season with a batting average of .235. (Edited by Hsiao Po-wen) 1150426
(Central News Agency, Taoyuan, April 26) Rakuten Monkeys infielder Hsu Pin-jung has been frequently batting as the leadoff hitter in recent games. Senior player Chen Chen-wei shared his experience, reminding Hsu to "hit fewer first pitches." Hsu Pin-jung stated that seeing more pitches allows him to observe the pitcher's situation, providing more information for himself and his teammates during at-bats.
On the whiteboard for the Monkeys' starting lineup today against the Wei Chuan Dragons, there was a red note under Hsu Pin-jung's name at the leadoff spot, which read "hit fewer first pitches." This was a reminder left by senior player Chen Chen-wei.
In yesterday's game against the Wei Chuan Dragons, Hsu Pin-jung was out on the first pitch in both the 1st and 8th innings. Before the game, Chen Chen-wei also seriously shared his experience, advising that if Hsu wants to hit the first pitch, he should pick a good location and aim for a long hit.
Hsu Pin-jung mentioned that especially when facing experienced Wei Chuan Dragons starting pitcher Bryan Woodall yesterday, if he is too eager to attack the first pitch, subsequent batters won't have many pitches to observe, making it difficult to quickly grasp the pitcher's condition, and the team's offensive rhythm could be easily disrupted.
Hsu Pin-jung is self-aware that as a leadoff hitter, if he can battle for 7 or 8 pitches in the first at-bat of the game, even if it doesn't result in a hit, it allows subsequent batters to observe the pitcher's condition for the day. Then, if there's a good hitting opportunity in later at-bats, he himself will know better how to respond. He reflected that not doing this and not helping the team was selfish.
Hsu Pin-jung reflected that every day has different situations, but every day is also a new beginning. The outcome against the Dragons yesterday was not good, possibly due to a lack of proper strategy, not a major technical issue. He believes the gap in thinking can be adjusted more quickly. Hsu Pin-jung has played 14 games in the first team this season with a batting average of .235. (Edited by Hsiao Po-wen) 1150426