Long Road for Tagg Bozied

July 19, 2004. It is a date that Tagg Bozied remembers all too well. While playing for the Portland Beavers that night he ruptured a tendon in his left knee jumping on home plate to celebrate a game-winning grand slam. He would miss the rest of the season. Had he not been hurt many people believed he would have made the Major Leagues. Now the 29 year old power hitter is in Taiwan with the Brother Elephants.

It has not been easy for Bozied. In 2001 he played in the independent Northern League after college because of stalled contract talks with the San Diego Padres. After the freak injury in 2004 Bozied would play in just 26 games in 2005 due to back problems. In '06 the Padres handed him his walking papers and he has bounced from three organizations since.

The good news is that Bozied has been healthy for the past two seasons. In 2008 he batted .306 with 26 HRs and 80 RBIs in 123 games with the Albuquerque Isotopes (AAA). That earned him a ticket to Taiwan.

In other news:

The La New Bears have signed 34 year old right handed pitcher Kazuhiro Takeoka. Last season he was 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 19 games for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

The CPBL-leading Sinon Bulls have bolstered their pitching staff by welcoming back Alfredo Gonzalez. The 29 year old righty was 5-2 with a 4.78 ERA in 36 games for the Frisco RoughRiders (AAA) in 2008. Gonzalez spent '06 and '07 with the Bulls before heading to the States.