| Giljegilijaw Kungkuan | |||||||||||||||
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 Kungkuan with the Columbus Clippers in 2018 | |||||||||||||||
| Wei Chuan Dragons – No. 4 | |||||||||||||||
| Catcher | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1994-03-13) March 13, 1994 (age 30) Taichung, Taiwan | |||||||||||||||
| Bats: RightThrows: Right | |||||||||||||||
| CPBL debut | |||||||||||||||
| August 25, 2021, for the Wei Chuan Dragons | |||||||||||||||
| CPBL statistics (through 2024 season) | |||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .279 | ||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 71 | ||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 233 | ||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Giljegiljaw Kungkuan (Chinese: 吉力吉撈·鞏冠; pinyin: Jílìjílāo Gǒngguān; born 13 March 1994 in Taichung, Taiwan), also known as Giljaw or Giyaw, previously known as Chu Li-Jen (Chinese: 朱立人), is a Taiwanese baseball catcher for the Wei Chuan Dragons of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Giljegiljaw signed with the Cleveland Guardians as a free agent in 2012, and stayed with the team until 2020 when he left to play for the Wei Chuan Dragons.
Professional career
Giljegiljaw began his professional career with the Cleveland Indians as a non-signed free agent, being signed on November 29, 2012 by Jason Lynn and Allen Lin. He was signed for $40,000 as one of several players from Taiwan the team was signing at the time. From 2014 to 2019, he spent his time in the Rookie league and A ball leagues, failing to get more than 150 plate appearances in a season.
After a 2017 season with the Lake County Captains that saw him breaking this streak by getting 518 plate appearances and getting selected as a Midwest League Postseason All-Star, he spent time in the A, AA, and AAA leagues in 2018. Giljegiljaw became a free agent on November 2, 2020.
In the 2021 CPBL draft, Giljegiljaw was selected second overall by the Wei Chuan Dragons. On August 20, 2021, the Dragons announced they had made a 2.4-year, NT$12.93 million contract with Giljegiljaw. Along with the monthly salary from the contract, it included a NT$850,000 incentive bonus. He didn't play a season for them until 2021, where he spent some time for the minor league team before making the major league roster. That season, he hit .256/.310/.458 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs.
In 2022, Giljegiljaw became the CPBL home run champion by hitting 14 home runs, the fewest home runs hit by a home run champion in the league. This lowered number was caused by a change to the balls used by the league, which lowered the ball's coefficient of restitution and raised the seams. That season, he hit .286/.350/.481 with 56 RBIs in addition to his home runs.
International career
Giljegiljaw played in the 2008 PONY World Series and was the home run derby winner.
Giljegiljaw was selected for the Chinese Taipei national baseball team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. In 12 at bats, he got 4 hits and a home run.
Personal life
Giljegiljaw is an Indigenous Taiwanese and belongs to the Paiwan tribe. He was previously known as Chu Li-Jen. He adopted his Paiwan name in 2019 and it means "brave warrior".
References
- ^ "Some Indigenous people in Taiwan want to drop their Chinese names: 'That history has nothing to do with mine'". Los Angeles Times. 2 May 2023.
- 2019 Cleveland Indians Press Guide. 2019. p. 94.
- "Indians Sign Yu-Cheng Chang From Taiwan For $500,000 - BaseballAmerica.com". 2013-06-23. Archived from the original on 2013-06-23. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- "Tapia, Chu named MWL Post Season All-Stars". MiLB.com. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- Hilburn-Trenkle, Chris (2 November 2020). "Full List of 2020-2021 MiLB Free Agents". Baseball America. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- ^ "中職選秀》強打捕手降臨！ 味全首輪選進吉力吉撈". Liberty Times (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 12 July 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- "鞏冠加盟味全龍 2.4年總和1293萬". Yahoo News (in Chinese). 20 August 2021. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
- "台湾プロ野球で珍事、14発で本塁打王 "飛ばないボール"で打高投低に異変". Full-Count（フルカウント） ― 野球ニュース・速報・コラム ― (in Japanese). 2022-10-27. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- "Long Beach is Walk-Off Winner!". WJPA. 16 August 2008. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- "Chinese Taipei Roster & Staff". World Baseball Classic. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
- Hahn, Daniel (24 February 2020). "Cleveland Indians: Getting to know Giljegiljaw Kungkuan". Away Back Gone. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- Yang, Stephanie; Shen, David (2 May 2023). "Some Indigenous people in Taiwan want to drop their Chinese names: 'That history has nothing to do with mine'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- "「キチリキキチロウ」→「ギリギラウ」TBSが台湾選手『吉力吉撈鞏冠』の呼び名を改め紹介「ギリギラウは勇敢な戦士という意味」【プレミア12】（中日スポーツ）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). 23 November 2024.
External links
- CPBL
- Player information from WikiBaseball (in Chinese)
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
| Chinese Taipei roster – 2023 World Baseball Classic | |
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- 1994 births
- Living people
- Columbus Clippers players
- Akron RubberDucks players
- Lake County Captains players
- Arizona League Indians players
- Glendale Desert Dogs players
- Mahoning Valley Scrappers players
- Baseball catchers
- Taiwanese expatriate baseball players in the United States
- 2023 World Baseball Classic players
- Baseball players from Taichung
- Paiwan people
- Lynchburg Hillcats players