On the night before their first exhibition game in Taiwan yesterday, Major League Baseball (MLB) stars went out for an authentic Taiwanese experience and ended up sampling shots of snake blood.
The players spent Monday night at the Huaxi Street (華西街) night market in Taipei, better known as “Snake Alley,” which is famous for the many shops that display snakes and sell snake products, such as snake blood, which is believed by some to have special healing powers and can help “purify” the human blood circulation.
According to MLB reporter Doug Miller, Milwaukee Brewers reliever LaTroy Hawkins was the first to empty a shot glass full of fresh snake blood.
“I didn’t travel halfway around the world to not do what the natives do, so I’m going to try it,” Hawkins was quoted in Miller’s report as saying.
Hawkins reportedly convinced his fellow players to follow his lead by saying that the blood could boost their stamina and help improve their skin.
Even before the trip to “Snake Alley,” Hawkins seemed to be the member of the MLB team most willing to try popular Taiwanese specialties, saying shortly after he arrived in Taipei on Sunday that he wanted to try the night market staple stinky tofu.
Florida Marlins outfielder Logan Morrison and San Francisco Giants outfielder Andres Torres both believed the snake blood helped boost their energy levels and would help them and their teammates hit with power during the five-game exhibition series.
Torres said he felt so powerful that he was “definitely going to hit home runs on this trip.”
“I’m going to have powers like Spider-Man, but more snake-like powers,” he said.
Robinson Cano, the New York Yankees slugging second baseman, hesitated a bit, but eventually convinced his father, Jose, to join him in doing a shot.
Jose Cano, who pitched professionally in Taiwan in the 1990s, said after drinking the blood that he had never tried it when he lived in Taiwan.
Bruce Bochy, Giants manager and the MLB team’s skipper for the trip, said it was great that the players were adventurous and willing to try new things.
“You get pumped up for the game and they’re looking for blood here. There are some warriors on this club to be trying this stuff. It’s good to see,” Bochy said.
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