Osvaldo Martinez has found a home away from home in Taiwan and is settling down for his sixth season with the Sinon Bulls this year.
With the Bulls on top of the standings and fans returning to the game in droves, Martinez is full of optimism for the future.
This is despite a relatively quiet start to the season for the Dominican Republic-born pitcher.
Originally, Martinez was spotted in his home country by the Detroit Tigers and stayed with the franchise for four years, before being picked up by the Sinon Bulls.
"I never thought of playing outside of the States and it was a surprising decision," Martinez said of the move to Taiwan, adding the first year was not easy. "Especially with my family still back home, it added to the loneliness of trying to adapt to everything around me."
Eventually he decided to move his family to Taiwan and he now lives with his wife and two daughters in Taichung.
Winning record
They all like living in Taiwan, he said, partly because the weather is similar to that back home.
In the past five years, Martinez has had four winning seasons and compiled a 60-50 record.
In 2000, when he finished with 14-8, the Bulls went to the playoffs, but lost to the Lions in Game 7 in Taichung. It was a loss that Martinez said he found hard to bear.
Martinez is currently the longest-serving baseball player in Taiwan and will be eligible to apply for permanent residency at the end of the year.
Though former teammates have moved on and other foreign players keep an eye on a move to the major leagues in the US, Japan and South Korea, Martinez said his focus is pitching well and helping his club.
"I want to do my best for the team to win. This is what I believe in and this is what I do.
"The Bulls are playing very well so far this season and staying on top of the standings makes it feel good all round."
Martinez, however, has got off to a slow start. In his last 11 games, he has only managed a 1-4 record, with two saves.
Despite the dip in his own form, he is still optimistic the Bulls can go all the way this year. "Although I am not so lucky this year, I still think we are a good team."
Chen Wei-cheng (
Leading the way
"He is good, he has a lot more communications with the players [than other managers] and this makes everyone in the club feel comfortable," Martinez said.
He added that he was also upbeat about the future of baseball in Taiwan, with the fans coming back to the park this season after Baseball World Cup at the end of last year.
"More and more fans are coming to the game and that makes everyone excited when we go on the field."
RSS