Chen Chin-feng found himself in an unusual situation when he stepped into the batters’ box to face the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night in the first of two exhibition games between the Major League team and Taiwan’s All-Stars.
A member of the Dodgers organization from 1999 to 2005, before giving up his US dream and returning to Taiwan, Chen spent most of his energy during those seven years punishing opposing pitchers rather than those wearing the Dodgers’ blue and white uniforms.
Now he was facing his former team for the first time since being released after the 2005 season.
Chen could be forgiven for feeling a tinge of bitterness at not getting more of a chance in the Major Leagues, appearing in only 19 games for the Major League club from 2002 to 2005 despite excelling at the minor league level.
Yet the soft-spoken 32-year-old was low-key as always when asked about his feelings toward his former employers before the series, describing it as “just another game in spring training.”
“I don’t think there will be a feeling of revenge or anything like that, “ he said, stressing that he did not hold a grudge and was not looking to prove anything.
He still showed what he can do, however, recording the Taiwan All-Stars’ first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning after walking in his first at-bat.
Chen, considered to be one of the most talented hitters in Taiwanese baseball history, dreamed of making a name for himself and for Taiwanese baseball in the US when he signed with the Dodgers in 1999 at age 21.
As the first local player to sign with an Major League team, Chen was an inspiration for younger players who dreamed about performing in the US rather than Japan, the most common destination at the time for Taiwanese players hoping to play professionally overseas.
The powerful hitter from southern Taiwan captured the heart of Taiwanese fans in his first few years in the US, being named as the most promising player in the Dodgers farm system at one point.
His popularity grew when he became the first Taiwanese player to play in the Major Leagues when he made his debut on Sept. 14, 2002.
The New York Yankees might have been known as Taiwanese fans’ favorite team from 2005 to last year, when current Washington Nationals pitcher Wang Chien-ming donned Yankee pinstripes and the team’s merchandise could be seen everywhere.
Before the Yankees, however, that team was the Dodgers, in large part because of Chen, who became even more popular because of his outstanding performances representing his country in international competitions.
He never showed the same promise in scattered appearances with the Dodgers from 2002 to 2005, however, and in the 19 games he appeared in, he hit only .091 and was eventually released.
He decided to return to Taiwan after trying out with a team in the Japanese professional league.
In 2006, Chen signed a three-year contract with the La New Bears to become the highest-paid player in the history of Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League and promptly led La New to the championship that year, since racking up a .344 batting average over four years.
Kim Ng, the Dodgers’ vice president and assistant general manager, said it was a pity that Chen was not able to stick with the club, but she noted that his performance left the Dodgers with a very positive impression of Taiwanese players.
More than any accomplishment on the field, that pioneering legacy is likely to be Chen’s greatest achievement. After his breakthrough, dozens of Taiwanese players signed with Major League teams looking to realize their dreams in the US.
That success has been no better exemplified than with the Dodgers, who became the first Major League team to have four Taiwanese players on their all-time roster — Chen, Kuo Hong-chih, Hu Chin-lung and Tsao Chin-hui.
While most fans’ eyes will be on how Chen hits during the series, the fact that he is facing a Major League team that includes Kuo and Hu may be the more telling testimony of his contribution to the game.
The LA Dodgers v Taiwan All-Stars game scheduled to be played in Tianmu yesterday was canceled because of inclement weather. The teams are scheduled to face each other again today in Kaohsiung.
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