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Final curtain falls on TML

A short shareholders' meeting in Taipei yesterday confirmed it was the final out of the final inning for the Taiwan Major League (TML).

It will merge with the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) after six years of competition between the two leagues that threatened to kill off the game.

At an emergency board meeting last week the parent company of TML, Naluwan Corporation approved a decision to dissolve the league and form a partnership with the CPBL.

TML consultant Dean Yuan said the decision was based on an agreement reached between the two leagues in extended talks beginning earlier this year.

"Basically, TML just followed the decision that was agreed upon by the CPBL to merge the two leagues.

"The original idea was for both leagues to dissolve and then employ people for the new league. As it is, the TML is the first league to go."

It is now expected the CPBL will retain most of its employees and possibly put some former TML staffers -- such as umpires, groundsmen and some officials -- on the payroll of the new league.

What the new league will be called, however, is still being debated, with TML sources saying it will be called the (中國大聯盟, Chinese Major League). The CPBL appears to be seeking to retain its name in English and possibly add "major" to the title.

Also, the CPBL is insisting that players who broke their CPBL contracts to join the TML after it was formed in 1996 should remain on a blacklist -- even though many of these former players are now coaches or managers.

Yuan said the CPBL was now playing hardball since it had the upper hand in negotiations with the TML.

"I've got a feeling that it is not truly a merger any more and that is what I am kind of worried about," Yuan said.

"If you asked me two or three weeks ago, I would have said this move would prove to be the rebirth of the game here.

"The merger idea seemed to get rid of a lot of problems that came up [with the CPBL] in the bad old days, such as gambling, player contracts and a bad system."

Yuan said proposed penalties from the CPBL against former players who broke their contracts to join the TML were inspired by "revenge" rather than sound commercial sense.

"I am concerned that we'll go back to the past and the bad old days, rather than to a bright new future."

Director of International Affairs for the CPBL Richard Wang said there were outstanding issues that needed to be settled but the merger would go ahead.

"It is likely the CPBL will sign a merger contract with the Naluwan Corporation on Jan. 13 to take the merger one step closer."

Under the terms of the proposed merger, Naluwan Corp must find a buyer to take over one of the two franchises and it will operate the other franchise until the end of next season.

If everything goes smoothly, Wang said, there will be a six-club league starting next year.

The CPBL was founded in 1989 and ran the game unopposed until media giant Chiu Fu-sheng (邱復生) of ERA was refused TV rights for the new season in the mid-1990s.

Chiu teamed up with Sampo owner Chen Sheng-tien (陳盛沺) in an attempt to form its own four-team league and ultimately drive the older league out of business.

After years of fierce competition, falling crowds and revenues, the CPBL began to attract more fans and emerged this year as the strongest league.

After the Baseball World Cup held in Taiwan last November, interest in baseball was reignited and the CPBL enjoyed a 57.6 percent increase in attendance and a 150% increase in revenue.
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