TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese pitcher, Kuo Hong-chih (郭泓志) returned to Dodger Stadium to throw out the first pitch on Friday (June 21), reuniting with his old ballclub and manager Dave Roberts.
Kuo’s appearance was part of an event sponsored by Taiwan’s Starlux Airlines, which also included a drone show and ticket giveaway. Starlux flight attendants also appeared at the stadium distributing alcohol-free cocktails.
For many baseball fans, the highlight of the day was an appearance by 42-year-old Kuo who had been affiliated with the Dodgers for over 10 years and last pitched professionally in 2011. His return to the pitching mound in the big leagues brought back many memories for Kuo as well as his fans, per CNA.

Kuo played for the Dodgers when the team had two other Asian baseball stars, Korean slugger Park Chan-ho and Japanese pitcher Kuroda Hiroki. This roster paved the way for future stars such as Japanese two-way threat, Ohtani Shohei.
"Ohtani is a model player who inspires young batters, pushing them to join the major league," said Kuo. When asked if he could accomplish what Ohtani has achieved in both pitching and hitting, Kuo laughed and said that the Japanese player was much more skilled.
Before the opening pitch, a large crowd of Dodger fans were treated to a video of Kuo when he was 20 years old. Another video showed him hitting a home run in 2007.
Kuo had a storied big-league career playing for the Dodgers. He still is the only Taiwanese player to be selected for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the first Taiwanese player to hit a home run in the MLB.