Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1997 Gary Burnham spent 10 years playing for four major league organizations. He’s the all time HR leader of the Reading Phillies (AA) and was voted team MVP three times (AAA - 02,07/Reading - 06). Prior to the 2008 season he signed with the La New Bears of the CPBL. He’s off to a fantastic start in Taiwan and is currently hitting .306 with nine doubles, five HRs, and 25 RBI for the first place Bears.

Burnham recently agreed to answer some questions for East Windup Chronicle about playing in Taiwan, living in Taiwan, and his plans for the future in Taiwan and beyond.

EWC: How would you evaluate your performance in Taiwan thus far?

Gary: I think so far I’ve done ok. I’ve been able to stick to my game plan as a hitter. It’s taken me years to trust myself and my gameplan and to apply it game after game. I try to keep it simple as possible and leave all the pressure on the pitcher to execute. If I find myself losing my confidence during an at bat I remind myself that Cy Young died and no one on the face of the earth can throw nasty pitches every time. At some point they’ll have to leave one in the strike zone where I can get the barrel on it.

EWC: What’s the biggest adjustment you’ve had to make (baseball or otherwise) since coming to Taiwan?

Gary: The biggest cultural adjustment for me is by far the language barrier. I’ve been doing my best to learn Chinese at the fastest pace I can, and I can generally express my needs to the other players and coaches while I am at the park. But off the field and in the towns is tough. I’m ok ordering food at Mcdonalds, but that’s about it.

EWC: Take us through your daily routine.

Gary: I usually wake up at 10 a.m. and call my girlfriend on Skype. She’s in Connecticut and it’s a 12 hours difference. After that I go to Cafe 85 to get a coffee smoothie and then head out to the park to get ready for the game or practice. On days off I usually go to the movies or bowling. That’s about it. I like to work out after the games and on off days.

EWC: What’s the biggest difference between the pitchers you faced in the U.S. versus the pitchers in Taiwan?

Gary: The difference between the American and Taiwanese pitchers is speed. U.S. guys throw a little harder, but that’s about it. The pitchers here try to make me get myself out. They like throwing their pitches just off the plate in hopes I go out of my zone and chase a borderline pitch. If I maintain discipline and force the pitcher to throw me something good, I’ll do well. That’s the key.

I’d also say the pitchers here are a little more unpredictable. They throw whatever whenever doesn’t matter what the count or situation is. In the US its a little more predictable.

EWC: I noticed, in looking at your career stats, that you slowly improved your K/BB ratio, to the point where your final year in the US (2007) you walked 70 times and struck-out 73 times. Was that something you’ve consciously worked on over the years? If yes, how has that work carried over to Taiwan?

Gary: Funny you noticed that. In 2002, I was the AAA Team MVP for the Syracuse Skychiefs, Toronto’s AAA team. I almost got a courtesy call up at the end of the season but with Carlos Delgado getting paid 20 million dollars the GM said they were set. I went home asking myself what I could do to raise the bar. I heard a lot about lasik eye surgery and how it helped players see the ball better, so I got the surgery but only to realize that it made it very difficult to see at night. It actually made my vision worse. So for the next 2 seasons in AAA my numbers weren’t at all where I wanted them to be. I was striking out way more than I was before 2003 and couldn’t pick up the spin during night games.

I got the surgery redone by a guy in Memphis at the end of the 2004 season. I got a custom cornea — it fixed everything. As you can see by my numbers how a player sees the ball makes a huge difference. Now I see the ball better than ever and my BB/K ratio is the best its been. I pride myself on that.

EWC: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve seen on a baseball field since coming to Asia?

Gary: Hands down the most surprising thing I’ve seen here was when our shortstop became an NFL wedgebuster and literally plowed the umpire over. I have never seen anything like this in my life. It was the craziest thing I have ever seen. I was seriously in shock for a minute or two. We (the other foreigners) were like “That just did not just happen.” And it didn’t stop there. Later in the game there was more at home plate. By far the most surprising event of my career.

EWC: Are you around other foreigners much?

Gary: We have 3 other foreigners on our team. Andrew Lorraine, Mike Johnson and we just picked up Jermaine Van Buren. They’re all pitchers and have a totally different schedule than I do, since I’m a position player. Pitchers don’t interact with position guys much. The only time we see each other is in the locker room. Off the field they all have their families with them.

EWC: What else have you had to change since coming to play in the CPBL?

Gary: Players don’t shower at the park. You go home to your dorm and wash up after the game. This is new to me. Every where I have played you shower after the game at the park get dressed and leave the stadium clean. I feel a little dirty sitting in a sweaty uniform waiting to go home and shower.

EWC: How about team doctors and medical care? Is that different in Taiwan from what you had in the states?

Gary: The trainers here individually stretch us. Aggressively. They do deep tissue pressure techniques on muscles. Its painful as hell but when they are finished you feel loose. In the US we weigh in once every 2 weeks. Here is 2 times a day once before and once after practice.

EWC: What’s your plan for the future?

Gary: My short term goal is to put up solid numbers here in Taiwan every time I get an opportunity and to market myself to Korea or Japan. I’d like to play five years in Korea or Japan and then retire.