February 13-19, 2012
Headline News
Lancaster Barnstormers’ Lo Ching-lung uses his God-given baseball talent to help CJCU athletes
Reported by Sam Lee
Written by Lydia Ma
Right-handed pitcher Ching-Lung Lo, a native of Taiwan and a youth from Khoa-Sai-Ke Maxwell Memorial Presbyterian Church in Tainan City, will be the first player from Taiwan to wear a Barnstormers uniform when the team opens its eighth season at Southern Maryland on April 26, 2012. Before playing for the Lancaster Barnstormers, Lo played for the Colorado Rockies for 10 years and almost made it to Major League Baseball before losing his contract in August 2011.
During a visit to Taiwan’s Aletheia University on February 10-11, 2012, Lo was invited to give a few pointers to the school’s baseball team. He spent much time going over basic elements and also shared some of his pitching experiences with the baseball team’s pitchers.
Lo will be returning to the USA in March to take part in an independent league baseball spring training. When interviewed, he underscored that his faith in God is what sustained him the most in life. He added that the recent success and testimony of Christian basketball star Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks greatly encouraged him to persevere in fulfilling his dream as well.
Aletheia University’s President Wu Ming-da expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Lo for taking time out to help the school’s basketball team and underscored that the school’s goal has always been to ensure that students mature in body, soul, and spirit. He added that sports is important at CJCU and the school had received an award from the Ministry of Education last year for being an outstanding school in athletics. The school plans to host a global forum on sports management this April.
Lo said he was honored and happy to share his experiences with Aletheia University’s athletes. As the university is a PCT institution, he was glad serve the church with his skills. He spent most of his time going over basic elements such as warm-up, maintaining body balance, team morale, passing and receiving balls, etc. with the school’s baseball team.
Reflecting on losing his contract after 10 years of playing in the Minor Leagues, Lo’s story is eerily similar to the story of recent basketball sensation Jeremy Lin. “Faith in God is the only way and the most important pillar of strength. If it weren’t for faith in God, I wouldn’t be able to make it.” He wears a W.W.J.D. (What Would Jesus Do?) bracelet as a self-reminder to imitate Christ and printed on the inside of his baseball cap are the words, “Seek God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness. Be thankful. Amen.”
Lo also visited his hometown in Tainan and practiced with Uni-President Lions Baseball Team during his stay in Taiwan.
