Medal-round action of the 2007 Asian Baseball Championship will kick off this afternoon at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium with Taiwan taking on South Korea.
With the right to represent Asia in what could be the final Olympic baseball competition in next year's games in Beijing at stake and South Korean looking to avenge a loss against Taiwan in 2003 that sent Taiwan to the 2004 Olympics in Athens, both squads will certainly give their all to win the all-important opening match.
Leading this year's best-and-bright for the hosts is head coach Kuo Tai-yuan whose gutsy 17-inning outing over a two-game span to beat South Korea and Japan on the same day in the 1983 Asian Baseball Championship will likely remain unmatched forever.
"With the addition of Tsao Chin-hui and Huang Jung-chung, our bullpen has gotten a big boost which wasn't there earlier," Kuo said, referring to the addition of current major-leaguer Tsao (Los Angeles Dodgers) and top La New Bears closer Huang.
They will hope to provide some stability to an overworked bullpen that faltered on several occasions in a disappointing effort during the World Cup last month.
Also bringing his big-league credentials to leadoff for Taiwan will be Hu Chin-long (also of the LA Dodgers), whose fierce hitting and impeccable defensive play at second base will undoubtedly give Taiwan the speed and power that it longs for.
Likely to take the mound for Taiwan in this afternoon's contest will be right-hander Lin En-yu, who pitched well in all three of his games during the World Cup and has benefited from the two-week long break that gave his arm some much needed rest.
"It [the choice of starting pitcher] could be a game-day decision depending on who is most ready," Kuo said.
Should Lin be scratched from the lineup, the burden will probably fall on veteran righty Yang Jien-fu of the Sinon Bulls, who also pitched well during the World Cup last month.
Regardless of the starting pitcher, Taiwan will have their hands full against a strong South Korean outfit that features top lefty Jun Byung-ho (Samsung Lions) and a pair of major-league right-handers in Ryu Jae-kuk (Tampa Bay Devil Rays) and Park Chan-ho (New York Mets).
Backing up Hu with their big bats for Taiwan will be Chen Chin-fong (La New Bears), Chang Tai-shan (Bulls) and Kao Guo-ching (President Lions).
Following today's game, Taiwan will take on the Philippines -- winners of the preliminary competition -- tomorrow afternoon before finishing out the three-game series in the finale against Japan on Monday.
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said