Not Just America’s Pastime

All of the Cardinals’ hysteria that is going on back at home piqued my interest in Taiwanese baseball.  Many people know that baseball is popular in Japan, but I imagine that few people realize that it is also a top sport in Taiwan. The Japanese introduced the sport in the early 1900’s and it has steadily grown in popularity to become the most popular national sport.

Without an expensive satellite package, sometimes it can be hard to watch your favorite teams’ games in the US, but no problem in Taiwan – there always seems to be a MLB game on, regardless of the time of day.  I just spoke with an older Taiwanese guy at the gym yesterday who told me that he keeps up on all the MLB teams and watches games almost every day.  He was a Giants fan, so when he found out I was from Cardinals’ country, he got pretty excited.

Taiwan’s home league is quite popular, but has had a rocky history.  The Chinese Professional Baseball League was formed in 1989 and was so popular that it spawned a rival league, the Taiwan Major League.  Things were going great for baseball in Taiwan until a series of game-fixing scandals involving the mafia became public.  In 2003, after only seven years, the TML was absorbed into the CPBL leaving only one league and several teams affected by the various scandals were dissolved. Attendance suffered because fans had lost trust in the players, but not in the game itself.

Interesting facts about baseball in Taiwan:

• Taiwan has won more Little League World Championships than any other country!  I guess combining a love for baseball with very focused and dedicated youngsters is a winning combination.
• The champion of the CPBL goes on to play in the Asia Series against Korea, Japan, and China.
• If a pitcher hits a batter with a pitch, he tips his cap as a sign of respect and to indicate that it was not intentional.  There are few, if any, intended hit batsmen or retaliatory hits.
• A baseball scene is depicted on the $500 NTD note.
• At the end of every game, both teams and the umpires bow to the fans to show their appreciation for their patronage. 

Hopefully I’ll get to see a baseball game during our time here – probably my only chance to get fried tofu and green tea at a baseball stadium!