Chih-Wei Hu, Helium Watch on BA

[Steve Lein]

I've seen a lot of guys asking about pitcher Chih-Wei Hu around here lately, as he's been pitching fantastic to start the season in Fort Myers.

 

Baseball America has noticed too, and they did a write-up on him for their "Prospect Hot Sheet" last week. There's some scouting notes and an interesting fact about his career thus far included.

 

Check it out:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/prospect-hot-sheet-prequel-helium-watch-hot-april-30/

 

 

[gunnarthor]

I hope he makes it just so I can see him throw a palmball.

[beckmt]

If he keeps pitching this way, will be in Chattanooga by midyear.  Could help the Twins by 2016 -2017.  Hoping the Twins are just going to pitch Nolasco to establish value and then trade him this year or this winter.  need to clear the space for better pitching. 

[diehardtwinsfan]

I'm just hoping Nolasco establishes value.  They can't trade him for a box of cracker jacks right now.

 

That said, this kid is pretty exciting.  Doing what he's doing at 21 in the FSL puts him on the map a bit more, especially if he makes it to AA and continues to do well. 

[John Kelsey]

Can I get some clarification on the pronunciation of Hu's name? I'd like to start saying it right in my head before I develop bad habits. 

[Jeremy Nygaard]

 

Can I get some clarification on the pronunciation of Hu's name? I'd like to start saying it right in my head before I develop bad habits. 

 

"Who"

[nicksaviking]

"Who"

Who who?

[John Kelsey]

 

"Who"

 

I meant his first name. 

[ashbury]

I meant his first name. 

Without any direct knowledge I've been saying "Chee Way Hoo." I too will be glad if someone corrects me.

[ashbury]

"Who"

The guy on first base.

[JaleelWhite FanClub]

Thanks for the article. It's been great following the start of his season. I was happy to get him in the Adopt-a-Prospect forum this year because I thought he was underrated and a good sleeper pick to have a great year.

 

As for his first name, best I could find is "CHE-way".

[JaleelWhite FanClub]

 

Thanks for the article. It's been great following the start of his season. I was happy to get him in the Adopt-a-Prospect forum this year because I thought he was underrated and a good sleeper pick to have a great year.

 

As for his first name, best I could find is "CHE-way".

That's with a short E.

 

Plus, shameless plug, learn more and follow his season here.
http://twinsdaily.com/topic/17613-chih-wei-hu-2015/

 

He's starting tonight for Fort Myers.

[the_youngster]

As I studied Chinese for several years, his name would be pronounced like "che(w)" but without the w sound at the end, as if you were only saying the "ch" but with a vowel sound coming from the throat. And then Wei is simply "Way".

[ashbury]

As I studied Chinese for several years, his name would be pronounced like "che(w)" but without the w sound at the end, as if you were only saying the "ch" but with a vowel sound coming from the throat. And then Wei is simply "Way".

For what little it's worth, my daughter got fluent in Mandarin in college plus travel, and she got back to me quickly when I emailed her today. The suggestion she gave was that it might be close to the short I in "chimney". Between that and your suggestion, I can kind of hear what I think I've overheard in conversation, a vowel sound that is kind of incomplete to an English speaker's ears and tough to replicate with any similar word. The rendering as "Chih" might actually be as good a guide as there is. Certainly my "Chee" would sound crude and uneducated to him.

 

It seems there is general agreement on the second half of his name as "Way". But I had a colleague some time ago whose name was simply Wei, and he assured me you could pronounce it wrongly and have it mean something else three different ways simply by rising or descending tone, and I believe him.

[the_youngster]

 

For what little it's worth, my daughter got fluent in Mandarin in college plus travel, and she got back to me quickly when I emailed her today. The suggestion she gave was that it might be close to the short I in "chimney". Between that and your suggestion, I can kind of hear what I think I've overheard in conversation, a vowel sound that is kind of incomplete to an English speaker's ears and tough to replicate with any similar word. The rendering as "Chih" might actually be as good a guide as there is. Certainly my "Chee" would sound crude and uneducated to him.

 

It seems there is general agreement on the second half of his name as "Way". But I had a colleague some time ago whose name was simply Wei, and he assured me you could pronounce it wrongly and have it mean something else three different ways simply by rising or descending tone, and I believe him.

The tone can definitely change the meaning. There are four different tones, and then the absence of any tone. So the same word could have numerous meanings. My teacher once told our class that you could be trying to call a woman beautiful, but end up calling her a goose (it might have been horse, i don't remember the exact details). But I don't think he necessarily expects people here in the US to use the right tone. 

[ashbury]

 

But I don't think he necessarily expects people here in the US to use the right tone. 

I'm sure the young man will be polite in the face of multiple mispronunciations. But I'm also sure he's going to get damn tired of all the Who's On First jokes.

[nytwinsfan]

Carson Cistulli also giving Hu a little love today. Helium indeed.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-fringe-five-baseballs-most-compelling-fringe-prospects-43/

 

Chih-Wei Hu, RHP, Minnesota (Profile)
One is tempted, in light of this 21-year-old right-hander’s family name, either to render that same right-hander’s name into some form of pun or, otherwise, to make an elaborate display of how one specifically isn’t making that pun. In either case, not unlike the eerily active eyes of a Tom Selleck poster you once saw in your neighbor’s basement, it’s impossible to escape the phonetic similarities between Chih-Wei Hu’s surname and a certain English pronoun. Here’s what else one can’t escape: that in four starts and 24.0 innings for the Twins’ Florida State League affiliate, Hu has recorded strikeout and walk rates of 31.8% and 3.4%, respectively, giving him the third-best strikeout- and walk-rate differential among all qualified pitchers at High-A, behind only Jose De Leon (featured below) and 25-year-old Oakland minor-leaguer Tim Atherton. The arm speed, according both to Kiley McDaniel and Aaron Gleeman, is sufficient enough to suggest that Hu isn’t thriving off mere deception.

 

 

[clutterheart]

Taiwan uses Wade–Giles for names, which is different than the pinyin that mandarin Chinese uses.  Also Taiwanese don't speak Mandarin so will be different.

 

Who, ChEE,Way

 

 

[John Kelsey]

I'm now more confused than when I asked the question. 

 

http://i.imgur.com/IW8simF.gif

[DocBauer]

I dont give a damn

[John Kelsey]

5 more shutout innings from him tonight in a win for Fort Myers. His ERA is sitting at 1.24 now. 

[kab21]

 

Taiwan uses Wade–Giles for names, which is different than the pinyin that mandarin Chinese uses.  Also Taiwanese don't speak Mandarin so will be different.

 

Who, ChEE,Way

 

Taiwan uses every romanization which really confuses things.  They are converting to Hanyu Pinyin but most names (not all) are still spelled using Wade Giles. 

 

Without having the Chinese characters we are just guessing how to pronounce it. In Wade Giles the only pronunciation that we know that is incorrect is ChEE.  That would be spelled Chi in Wade Giles.  There are two possibilities for Chih in Wade Giles and this is why Wade Giles is absolutely awful.  Chih is Zhi in Hanyu Pinyin (what I know) and a 'j' sound followed by a short 'i'.  Ch'ih is Chi in Hanyu Pinyin and a 'ch' sound followed by a short 'i'.

 

http://madcat.library.wisc.edu/help/wadetopinyin.pdf

 

In addition to that the primary language in Taiwan is Mandarin.  All class subjects are taught in Mandarin and most are only fluent in Mandarin.  My students only speak Taiwanese when they visit their grandparents.  An even older generation speaks Japanese (getting rare) since the Japanese administered Taiwan before and during WW2.

[kab21]

I'm pretty excited that the Twins have a Taiwanese player that might be on the verge of becoming a really interesting prospect and get promoted at some time.  I think there is only one active player (Chen in BAL) right now.  I was really bummed out that the Cubs stole Jen Ho Tseng from the Twins when they started this blowing through the int'l signing bonus mess.