Fan Chen-Jun has shown talent, discipline at LLWS
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Following their 10-0 victory over Japan, Chinese Taipei catcher Chen Kai-Sheng was asked how he felt about being ace pitcher Fan Chen-Jun's catcher.
For the few that don't know at this point, Chen-Jun has consistently thrown fastballs between 77 and 82 miles per hour throughout the tournament, which equates to up to 107 mph when converted to MLB speed.
"I'm happy. But to be honest, it's very tough to be Fun's catcher," said Kai-Sheng through an interpreter.
The interpreter would elaborate, bringing up prior conversations with Chinese Taipei coaches when explaining that it isn't just his fastball that's difficult to deal with, but also his slider and curveball.
"It's not easy to be Fun's catcher sometimes. His slider is very nasty," said the interpreter. "If you don't have a steady curve, the curve is sometimes big and sometimes small, that's very difficult for the kids."
A player like Chen-Jun doesn't just emerge out of thin air. While talent and athleticism are traits that are with you or against you from birth, his consistency from the mound tells of unseen hard work and discipline.
In this year's Little League World Series, he's displayed an incredibly impressive blend of both. And while players possessing both are typical at this level of Little League, his degree of both is rare. In the 32 years Chinese Taipei manager Lee Cheng-Ta has been coaching Little League, he's never seen anything like it.
"I first saw him two years ago," said Cheng-Ta through a translator after Wednesday's win. "He has the coordination, he has the speed, he has the jumping ability. He started picking up baseball two years ago and I realized he was athletic, more than anybody I have seen."
From his very first inning at Volunteer Stadium, Chen-Jun took South Williamsport and the world of baseball by storm. He pitched just eight times that inning, six strikes (two strikeouts), one ball and one in-play ball which turned into a groundout at first. This was about the point where the name 'Fan Chen-Jun' first emerged on Twitter, as he had already hit 80 mph.
"That's probably the first time I've seen guys hitting 80 miles per hour, especially at 12-years-old," said Canada manager Cole Warken after his team's opening loss to Chinese Taipei on Thursday. "That's pretty phenomenal to see."
He'd handle business on his own in the second, pitching three more strikeouts in 12 pitches. Then, he topped that in the third when he pitched an immaculate inning, something just two MLB pitchers have done this season at the time of writing this.
Cut to today, and his name comes up at almost every opposing team's press conference, as managers try to figure out how to deal with him.
Through two games, he's allowed just one runner on base, struck out 15 batters through 6 2/3 innings and has been decent at the plate as well.
"I think the Fan guy, he is like untouchable," said Curaçao manager Zaino Everett after his team's 9-1 loss to Chinese Taipei on Wednesday. "Maybe you can pick those moments against him. You have to pick the moments against him."
With his previous game coming on Monday against Japan, he'll be more than available for the international title game on Saturday.
Whatever happens over the next few days, he's already left a mark on this year's Little League World Series, whether it be with his consistent pitches of above 80 speed wise, his key role in the tournament's eighth perfect game, his key role in back-to-back no hitters or his immaculate inning.
For manager Lee Cheng-Ta, he can't wait to see what he does moving forward.
"I believed he would do well in baseball, and I just wish for him to not get injured," said Cheng-Ta. "He has a lot of future to come in his baseball career."