Taiwan pays price for success

Top teams and players?

The Baseball World Cup, did not, as the Tienmu Stadium scoreboard proclaimed at the closing ceremonies, "welcome the finest players from all over the world."

True, Taiwan fielded the best team possible and Cuba had its best players available.

But the other teams were not true national teams with the best talent available because Major League Baseball, the players' union in the US and the IBAF have yet to work out details to allow Major League players to participate.

The problems preventing their participation in a true World Cup, however, are not insurmountable.

"Dream Teams" of top soccer, ice hockey, and basketball professionals are allowed to compete in their respective world championships. After all, it's only fair to the international players and the fans.

Such a change would allow Chen Ching-fong (陳金鋒) to play for Taiwan if he is called up by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

On the downside, if these changes do take place then it could well be the case that Taiwan would not be given the chance to hold such a competition.

Taiwan simply does not have the facilities or the organization to host such an event if the major leaguers joined the game.