The Taiwanese national baseball team roster for the upcoming 2010 IBAF Intercontinental Cup Championship in Taichung was announced by the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association at a press conference in Taipei yesterday afternoon
Head coach Yeh Chih-shien told reporters that he and his coaching staff had decided to go with eleven pitchers on the 24-man roster because pitching depth was of a concern in this year’s play. The team is under tremendous pressure to finish in the top three like it had done in the last competition in 2006.
“We traded off at least one spot for an extra pitcher this year because pitching is a concern for us this year,” Yeh said.
The will be many new faces on this year’s roster because players from the Brother Elephants and the Sinon Bulls of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) will not be available to play due to a schedule conflict between the tournament and the Taiwan Series, leaving out household names such as Peng “Chia Chia” Cheng-min (Elephants), Chang Tai-shan and Lin Yi-Chuan (Bulls) on the national roster.
This year’s competition will also be the last of its kind as the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) looks to consolidate the competition schedule, opting to suspend the longstanding tournament that dated back to 1973.
Despite the unavailability of the Elephants and Bulls’ players, this year’s squad still has a potent lineup that includes players currently playing for professional teams abroad such as American minor leaguers Chen Hong-wen (Chicago Cubs), Luo Ching-long (Colorado Rockies), Chen Jung-sho (Cleveland Indians), Chen Yong-chi (Pittsburg Pirates), Lin Tseh-hsuan (Boston Red Sox), and Luo Guo-hui (Seattle Mariners) and Japanese big leaguers Huang Chih-long and Lin Yi-hao (Yomiuri Giants).
The rest of the national roster:
Pitchers: Pan “Du Du” Wei-luen (Uni-President Lions), Hsu Ming-jeh (La New Bears), Liao Wen-yang, Lin Yu-ching, Chen Guan-yu, Lin Cheng-hua, and Lai Hong-cheng.
Catchers: Kao Chih-kang (Lions) and Lin Kuen-sheng.
Infielders: Kao Guo-ching (Lions), Lin Chih-sheng (Bears), Kuo Yen-wen, Lin Han, and Hsiao Bo-ting.
Outfielders: Chung Cheng-yo (Bears) and Liu Fu-hao (Lions).
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