Former Fubon Guardians pitcher Mike Loree was welcomed by 10,239 fans when he played his last game before retiring on Sept. 6. The turnout is testament to two things: Baseball is as popular in Taiwan as it is in the US — if not more — and passionate players such as Loree can serve as a bridge between the two countries.
Baseball first came to Asia in 1838, when it was brought to South Korea by missionaries, and was later adopted by the Japanese, who brought it to Taiwan during the colonial era. The sport remained popular in Taiwan long after the Japanese left, and the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) was established in 1989. In 2002, outfielder Chen Chin-feng (陳金鋒) became the first Taiwanese to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team in the US. Since Chen, there have been 15 other Taiwanese who have played in the MLB, one of whom — Cleveland Guardians infielder Chang Yu-cheng (張育成) — still plays in the league. There are also 11 US players playing in the CPBL.
The popularity of baseball in Taiwan and the US lends itself to nonpolitical exchanges between the two countries, and to improved mutual understanding between the two societies.
US respondents to a poll by the Washington-based German Marshall Fund of the US and Germany’s Bertelsmann Foundation said they would prefer sanctions and diplomatic actions over sending arms or troops to Taiwan in the event of a conflict with China. There could be several reasons for such a position, but one likely possibility is that the average American has no real sense of connection with Taiwan or Taiwanese. That could be changed through increased exchanges between Taiwan and the US, including in the area of sports.
In post-World War II US-occupied Japan, the General Headquarters encouraged playing and watching baseball as a form of cultural diplomacy. Baseball helped foster a sense of commonality and shared interests. Similarly, if Taiwan and the US engaged in more sports exchanges outside of more politicized international competitions such as the Olympics, then US sports fans could become more familiar with Taiwan and develop a sense of interest in the country.
Taiwan does have a voice in the MLB through the annual Mets Taiwan Day, although something more competition-focused might better capture the attention of US baseball fans. For example, there could be an annual cross-league event in which a CPBL team challenges an MLB team, or in which Taiwan hosts an MLB match or a series of matches. Perhaps the CPBL could work with MLB scouts to ensure more outstanding Taiwanese players join the US organization. Maybe there could be off-season camps for Taiwanese players to practice with the MLB greats, or seasonal exchanges of rookie players. There are many ways the two professional baseball organizations could engage, and fans on both sides of the Pacific would benefit.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said in a speech in July 2017 that she was “committed to strengthening the country’s soft power and expanding cultural exchanges with other nations.” There are few forms of soft power more effective than sports, which is a universal language and a pursuit of people from all countries.
On many occasions, Taiwan, the US and Japan have been described in shared contexts, and as having shared values. It seems fitting, then, that the three countries also share a love for baseball. Perhaps, in a sense, baseball has become synonymous with democracy. Perhaps that is also why baseball has no foothold in authoritarian China.
Taiwan should seek to usher in a new era of “baseball democracy,” where a shared love for the game could unite those who are opposed to authoritarianism. If Taiwan can win hearts through cultural diplomacy, it might just hit a home run.
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