Rookie Catcher Lu Po-hua's Preparation Impresses Fubon Guardians Manager

Fubon Guardians manager Gotoh Mitsutaka was taken aback by the initiative shown by 22-year-old rookie catcher Lu Po-hua on his first day with the team's active roster.

Lu was immediately put into the starting lineup as catcher on August 4. Manager Gotoh praised Lu's game-calling, noting that he "doesn't do unnecessary things." What particularly impressed the manager was Lu's proactive preparation. "When we had the pre-game meeting, I discovered he had already done his homework on the opposing team. I was surprised at that moment," Gotoh said.

Lu explained his actions, stating that he called veteran catcher Chang Yu-hao the day before being promoted to the active roster. He also received advice from teammate Feng Wei about the numerous pre-game meetings involved at the top level. "I thought since that's the case, I'll just prepare my own notes beforehand," Lu shared.

Among the Fubon Guardians' three active catchers, veteran Dai Pei-feng is 26. The younger catchers, Lu Po-hua and Chang Yu-hao, are 22 and 19, respectively. Since joining the active roster, Lu and Chang have been arriving early on game days for specialized catching drills under the guidance of coach Shan Zhe-ye. Lu described the coach as "very friendly, but also very serious when it's time to be serious."

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His game-calling "doesn't do unnecessary things."