Headed by the Minister of Internal Affairs Yu Cheng-shien (
Also in attendance for the first time were 300 fans from the six different ball clubs to cheer their favorite heroes.
PHOTO: YE CHI-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
The move to open up the event to the fans undoubtedly had to do with the dissatisfaction felt among those who were unable to purchase tickets last week for Game 6 of the Taiwan Series in Tienmu. some fans had waited for nearly two days to purchase tickets for the game.
Sinon Bulls slugger Chang Tai-shan (
In a season that many would argue as the greatest ever by an individual player in Taiwan, Chang rewrote the record books by becoming the youngest to hit 100 career home runs and knock in 500 RBI's; the first to reach the double-century mark (100 home runs and 100 stolen bases); and the 20-20 mark (20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in the same season).
Chang also set a new season record for most home runs by a local player (28), after former Chinatrust Whales slugger Chen wen-pin (
Chang Tai-shan just beat out fan-favorite and media darling Chen Chih-yuan (
President Lions sensation Pan Wei-luen (
The Most Improved Player honor went to Whales outfielder Chi Jung-lin (
Chi's batting average improved from .227 last year to .284, while his stolen base total went from 7 last year to 48 this season.
Beating Chi by one for this year's most stolen bases was Lions outfielder Huang Kang-lin (
Foreigners dominated this season's pitching awards, as John Frascatore of the Lions snagged the ERA title with a 1.80 mark, while Japanese veteran Yokota Hisanori won the most games with 16.
The Bulls' Dominican pitching tandem Osvaldo Martinez and cousin Ramon Morel were also recognized. Martinez won the strikeout title with 182 and Morel had the most saves with 27.
Peng Cheng-ming (
The top ranked players by position are Bulls pitcher Jeff Andra, Whales catcher Shih Chin-sho (
Seven-time winner, second baseman Huang Chung-yi of the Bulls, found himself off the list for the first time.
The Golden Glove winners by position for this year were Lions pitcher Pan wei-luen, Elephants catcher Chen Rei-chang (
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but