Taiwan baseball starts with Bulls meeting Cobras

Players from the Bulls and the Cobras meet reporters during a pregame press conference in Taipei yesterday. From left: Chang Tai-shan, Kuo Yong-chih and manager Liu Rong-hua of the Bulls, and Cobras manager Wu Fu-lien, along with players Lin En-yu and Hsieh Jia-shien. PHOTO COURTESY OF CPBL

After four long months of anticipation, the 2006 Chinese Professional Baseball League season will officially begin this afternoon with the Sinon Bulls taking on the Macoto Cobras at Taichung City Stadium.

Over 10,000 fans are expected to attend this afternoon's opener to witness the two-time defending champion Bulls play host to the Cobas, last season's runner-up, as the season gets underway.

Both clubs are coming off questionable pre-season outings with a combined record of 1-7-2, as most of their starters missed most of spring training as a result of their participation in the World Baseball Classic.

Fans will be eager to see if the Bulls win another title this year, which would make it three consecutive championships.

"It'll be tough, but I think we will be fine," manager Liu Rong-hua.

The success of the Bulls' season will hinge on a drastically altered starting-pitcher rotation. Osvaldo Martinez, the winningest pitcher in league history with 108 victories to his credit, and 16-game winner Lenin Picota, were both waived by the Bulls during the off-season.

Filling in will be American righty Clint Weibl and Dominican fast-baller Alfredo Gonzalez, who will join Panamanian righty Jorge Cortez and Yang Jien-fu to complete the four-man starting roster.

Meanwhile, the best infield in the business, anchored by shortstop Cheng Jau-han, will join a speedy outfield that includes Yu Hsien-ming, Chang Jien-ming and Tseng Hua-wei, as well as utility man Chang Jia-hao, who can play all three outfield positions as well as fill in for Cheng at shortstop.

On offense, home run threat Chang "Prince of the Forest" Tai-shan should see a lot more pitches to hit as he will be well protected by second-year slugger Hsu Guo-long, who knocked in 51 runs for the defending champs in the 85 games he played to lead all rookies last season.

COBRAS

The Cobras will start their 2006 campaign without their lefty ace Lin Ying-jeh, who traded in his Macoto uniform for a spot on the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japanese Professional Baseball. The Cobras will need to find the 12 wins and 150-plus strikeouts that Lin regularly racked up from newcomer Jose Paniagua of the Dominican Republic and up-and-coming local arms Tien Jia-an and Chang Chih-hong.

Second-year pitcher Lin En-yu, last season's Most Valuable Player, will have to replicate his amazing season with the help of No. 2 starter Hsu Chu-jien if the serpents wish to keep pace with the top-tier teams.

Things do not look too bright in the batter's box, as the Cobras start off the year without their top hitter, Wilton Veras (who left the team during the latter part of last season), and deceased longballer Mario Encarnacion.

The Cobras will be looking to cleanup man Hsieh Jia-shien, who led the league in home runs (23) and RBIs (74) last season, to pick up the slack.

Cobras manager Wu Fu-lien, replaces the legendary Kuo Tai-yuan, who left the team after taking it from the last-place spot in 2004 to the championship series last year.

Wu won two titles during his tenure with the former Taichung Agan of the Taiwan Major League.