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Baseball teams to have MOJ monitors

Sports Affairs Council Minister Tai Hsia-ling, left, talks to Chinese Professional Baseball League secretary-general Lee Wen-pin, first right, Sinon Bulls captain Yang Chung-hsin, second left, and Ministry of Justice department chief Tsai Jui-tsung, second right, at a meeting in Taipei yesterday on preventing game-fixing. PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FONG, TAIPEI TIMES

The Sports Affairs Council (SAC) said yesterday it accepted the Ministry of Justice’s proposal to assign prosecutor offices in Shilin (士林), Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung as contacts for professional baseball teams in a bid to prevent gangsters from influencing games.

The Shilin office will work with the Brother Elephants’ management, while the Sinon Bulls, President Lions and LaNew Bears would be under the jurisdiction of the Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung offices respectively.

The assignments were based on the team’s home towns.

The decision was one of the conclusions reached at a meeting yesterday morning between council officials and representatives from the ministry, the National Police Administration and three teams to discuss ways of preventing players and other team members from engaging in underground gambling.

The La New Bears did not send anyone to the meeting, which was presided over by Sports Affairs Council Minister Tai Hsia-ling (戴遐齡).

The council held similar meetings before the season and mid-season.

Tai said she hoped the prosecutors would inform teams “in advance” whenever they detect something wrong with their players. Her suggestion, however, was opposed by justice ministry representative Yen Da-ho (顏大和), who is chief prosecutor of the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office.

“There is no such thing as informing the teams in advance once an investigation is launched. A prosecutor would break the law by doing so,” Yen said.

Deputy Council Minister Chen Hsien-chung (陳顯宗) said the council hoped that the assignment of prosecutors would improve communication between team management and prosecutors offices on issues such as protecting players and sharing information.

Four other conclusions were reached at the meeting: Each prosecutor office will also provide “legal education” to its players; the team must reinforce management of players, with managers traveling with the teams during the season; teams can request police protection and teams should have regular communication with the players’ union on salaries and retirement plans, Chen said.

The National Police Agency should also continue its efforts to clamp down on gambling on baseball games.

“We also hope that investigators will quickly settle the case,” Chen said.

Meanwhile, Elephants pitcher Tsao Chin-hui (曹錦輝), one of the players allegedly involved in fixing games, issued a statement to his fans saying that he never intended to disappoint them and apologizing for befriending “the wrong person” and being careless about his duty as a professional athlete.

“Please do not disregard the efforts I have made,” Tsao said. “I have learned my lesson the hard way.”
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