This story was excerpted from Jason Beck’s Tigers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
DETROIT -- Hao-Yu Lee thought he was meeting his agent, Tim Lin, and his translator, Peter Lin, for brunch when he came down to the lobby of his building last Friday. The Tigers infielder was just settling into the day-to-day routine of being a Major Leaguer and living in Detroit, having been called up a couple of weeks earlier.
Then, he turned around and saw his parents and fiancée. It was a surprise visit from halfway around the world.
“When he turned around and saw his family, he was overjoyed,” Tim Lin said.
It was a moment they had talked about for years, ever since Lee started his professional career in 2021, signing out of Taiwan. But while the idea was the product of big league dreams and imagination, making it actually happen was a daunting project that had to come together in days. Thanks to his family, agent, translator and the Tigers' front office, it did.
“It's like going back home,” said Lee, the club's No. 5 prospect.
Watch Lee in the field or in the batter’s box, and the competitiveness is hard to miss. He plays with an intensity and a work ethic that even the Tigers had to moderate at times so that he wouldn’t wear himself out hitting in the cage before a game.
“He's a workaholic,” Tim Lin said. “That's his personality.”
That work ethic comes from his parents: His dad, Jun-Xian Lee, is a bus driver. His mom, Yu-Xuan Lin, works in an office. They worked long hours and saved to make sure Lee had what he needed to chase his dreams growing up.
“They sacrificed a lot to get me to this path, to baseball,” Lee said. “Without them, there’s nothing.”
When he got into Ping-Jen High School in Taoyuan City, he would spend the week in the dormitory. His parents made sure their work schedules allowed them to go to his games.
“My mom’s loud,” Lee said. “Every time I get a hit, she’s always yelling. My dad’s kind of quiet.”
Lee’s work paid off. Beyond starring in high school, he became part of the youth national teams, then signed with the Phillies at 18 years old. Once he headed to the United States to begin his pro career, his family had to watch online. With a 12-hour difference from the Eastern Time Zone, his parents could watch the early innings of his Minor League night games via MiLB.tv before they headed to work.
As Lee made his way up the Minor League system, joining the Tigers in 2023 in the Michael Lorenzen trade, Lee and his agent would talk about the big leagues.
“Who do you want to bring over here for your first at-bat?” Lin would ask.
The answer was obvious.
But not every Major League callup is easy to plan. For every Kevin McGonigle who makes an Opening Day roster, there are many more in-season callups. Traveling halfway around the globe on a moment’s notice is difficult for anyone, including a working-class family.
Lee’s call came on April 17 in the wake of the Tigers’ plethora of injuries. Zach McKinstry’s injury created a spot, and Lee was summoned to Boston for the start of a four-game road trip. Getting from Taiwan to Boston in time wasn’t happening. With the Tigers home for just three games afterward, flying to Detroit for that series wouldn’t work either.
The Tigers’ next homestand, the one just completed, made the most sense. But would he still be in the big leagues? They’d missed before: Lee’s parents and fiancée made plans to fly to Japan to watch him play for Chinese Taipei in the World Baseball Classic in March, but he suffered an oblique strain just before the tournament started and he had to fly back to the U.S. for treatment.
No, the Tigers assured them, Lee wouldn’t just be up for a cup of coffee. They could plan the trip. But the Tigers gave more than assurances. They gave help, through team operations director Abe Silvestri.
“We were able to get the parents’ visas done, and all the hospitality plans were arranged by the Tigers organization,” Lin said. “And dad and mom were able to request a few days off from work. That was our plan.”
The flight from Taiwan to Seattle takes 12-13 hours. The red-eye flight from Seattle to Detroit is about four hours. Add in a layover to go through customs, and the trek lasted about 22 hours, landing Lee’s family in Detroit early last Friday morning. It was their first trip to the United States. All the while, they did their best to keep a suspicious Lee in the dark.
“My agent tried to hide it,” Lee said. “But if somebody’s not answering me [on the phone], I know. But when I came down to the lobby, I only saw my agent, so I was a little bit upset. But when I saw my mom, I thought, ‘Yeah, I guessed right.’”
When Lee’s parents attended the game that night, it was their first time watching him play in person since high school.
“The stadium was definitely a shock,” Lin said. “They never had that kind of experience in a ballpark. That's a first-class organization, first-class stadium. When the Tigers put their picture on the board, they felt goosebumps. They were speechless.”
They were also chilly. With temperatures a little colder than what they were used to, they got hoodies from the team store.
Lee’s family caught five games before heading back home. They didn’t get to explore much in Detroit, but between brunch with their son and the ballpark, they saw plenty.
“I know Lee appreciates the Tigers organization,” Lin said. “They support him and they planned everything for him. The family loves it, especially their first time here in the U.S.”
Asked if it was an early Mother’s Day present, Lee smiled.
“You can say that,” he said. “She was super excited.”