The Chen family was showered with many happy news over the past weekend in Tainan. First, was the notice from the Los Angeles Dodgers organization on Friday regarding younger son Chen Chin-feng's (
Then came the winner's trophy from the annual Chinese Professional Baseball League's (CPBL) All-Star Homerun Derby Contest on Saturday afternoon for older son Chen Lien-hung's (
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Then Lien-hung won the game-MVP honor at the All-Star game for his 3-for-3 night after he contributed the winning hit for his team.
"I hope he [Chen Chin-feng] stays there for a bit longer this time," Chen Lien-hung told the Taipei Times before the game regarding younger brother Chin-feng's second promotion to the Major League.
Chen went on to hit eight homers in the preliminary round of the Homerun Derby to put himself in the finals with Gida slugger Hsieh Jia-shian (
Hsieh and Chen Kai-fa were unable to go deep in the final round, making Huang's lone homer in five attempts the mark to beat for Chen Lien-hung.
With two easy swings, Chen Lien-hung effortlessly blasted the first two pitches he saw over the fence to win the Homerun Derby title this year, his first in seven seasons.
As for the All-Star game, Chen was a perfect 3-for-3 for the night, including knocking home the game-winner in the bottom of the third with a soft single up the middle.
"This was my day today," Chen said.
Brother Elephant hitting machine Peng Cheng-ming (
The league's Offensive Player of the Month in May amazed those looking on with his beer-chugging ability.
The All-Star game began on Saturday with Taichung City Mayor Hu Chih-chiang (
Lion rookie sensation Pan Wei-luen (
The starter for Team White held the Team Red batters hitless for the first two innings before being replaced by fellow southpaw Hsieh Cheng-hsun (
Offensively for Team White, starting shortstop Cheng Chang-ming (
Cheng would score the first run of the game later in the same inning on Chen Lien-hung's single.
Also starring for Team White was catcher Tseng Chih-tseng (
The 44-year-old catcher came out of retirement after having coached the Lions in the previous four seasons to become the oldest player in the All-Star lineup.
Kuo Yuan-chih (
Despite the 3-0 score in favor of Team White, the Team Red offense was busy throughout the game, collecting 10 hits off five different Team White pitchers. Always missing critical hits with men in scoring position, Team Red stranded a total of 11 runners on base.
The best scoring opportunity for Team Red came in the top of the seventh with one out and men at the corners. Much to the dismay of the local crowd, shortstop Cheng Jau-han (鄭兆行) and second baseman Huang Chung-yi of the Bulls failed to connect as they struck out and flied out respectively, to retire Team Red in the seventh.
Left-hander Hsieh Cheng-hsun of the Whales got the win for Team White in his relief appearance, while Team Red starter Tsai Chung-nan of the Bulls took the loss.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set