Baseball's coming home to Hualien

Hualien's homecoming series between the Brother Elephants and Sinon Bulls showed why the county is known as the spiritual home of baseball in Taiwan.

Hualien Stadium -- which was only built last year -- was packed out nearly every day for the three-game series.

Fans poured into the 5,500 capacity venue to see their hometown heroes, many of whom were playing professional baseball for the first time in the city.

Many of Taiwan's best ballplayers have been nurtured in Hualien, which has a high proportion of Aboriginal players.

The Amis, who are based in Hualien, have produced some of the country's most outstanding hitters and pitchers.

More than 30 percent of the players currently on the active roster of the Chinese Professional Baseball League are from Aboriginal communities and almost every one of them occupies an important spot on their team.

Wang Kuang-hwei (王光輝), star player and batting coach of the Elephants, said it had been an exciting moment to play in front of his family members in Hualien.

"In my thirty years of playing baseball, this was one of my most important games. I wanted to give my best not only for the team, but also for my friends and neighbors here."

Coming from a town called Tabalang (太巴塱), a forty-minute drive away from downtown Hualien, Wang's family members and relatives came by tour bus to root for the Elephants.

"We were so happy to see him come back and play games this weekend," said Wang's mother, who was interviewed by CNN about Wang's achievements in baseball earlier this year.

Second baseman Huang Chung-yee (黃忠義) comes from Tabalang as well and is Wang's cousin. "It's good to come home," said Huang.

"We grew up here, we learnt to play baseball here. Although we needed to go to the cities to continue our baseball careers it feels so comfortable to come back here and play in front of our hometown fans."

Both Huang and Wang were national amateur team members for many years before turning professional.

Huang played at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and helped his team win the silver medal -- a highpoint for Taiwan baseball.

Though it has been a key series -- with the Bulls and Elephants dueling for the top spot in the standings -- the games have been, first of all, a celebration of the grassroots game.

Families have thronged to the stadium for the sunset and to catch a glimpse of their local heroes.

Former classmates have also turned up to cheer on their big-name baseball playing friends.

They can expect another baseball fiesta in July when another two CPBL teams (the Whales and Lions) will descend on Hualien for a series of games.