A Taiwanese "dream" softball team formed of high-ranking government officials and representatives of the media yesterday lost a softball game to an amateur team from the Dominican Republic with a score of 4:5.
Although the game was lost, officials said, the friendship between the two states was strengthened.
On a sunny Saturday morning, the two teams played a game of softball, showing their enthusiasm for baseball.
PHOTO: CNA
President Chen Shui-bian (
"Way to go! Taiwan! Way to go! Hungyeh [or `Red Leaf,' which for obscure reasons is a common cry of excitement at Taiwanese baseball games]!" the president shouted.
Taiwan's team was named "Hungyeh," after the name of the Bunun Aboriginal elementary school team that beat then-Little League world champion Japan, 7-0, in an invitation game in Taipei in 1968.
Chen was the only member of the audience cheering for his team.
When Taiwan's team took the defense, Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Su Tseng-chang (
Professional baseball in the Dominican Republic, whose population is only 9 million, has evolved dramatically over its 100-year history.
Many of the nation's professional players now play in the Major League in the US. According to Santos Silvestre, a professional baseball referee, the government in his country has made an effort to train potential baseball stars. The annual income of a professional baseball player in the Dominican Republic can exceed US$1 million, he said.
Damon de Los Santos, who has been a referee for years in several international baseball leagues, told the Taipei Times that Taiwan's performance in baseball is improving.
"I will say that the environment in Taiwan attracts some professional baseball players from our country," de Los Santos said.
Members of the Dominican team, composed of low-level officials and representatives from the private sector, told the Taipei Times that baseball means a lot to them and is part of most people's life.
"Since I was a child, I've played it once a week," a senior player said.
Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General James Huang (
"After all, we aim to ensure our friendship with them during our trip to the kingdom of baseball," Huang said.
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