Rivalries are part and parcel of every sport and baseball in Taiwan is no different.
The intense competition between the Brother Elephants and the now dissolved Weichuan Dragons at the old Taipei Stadium thrilled fans years ago.
Now it is the Elephants and President Lions that attract the most fervent support, but another rivalry between two former allies is generating intense interest.
PHOTO: CHU YU-PING, TAIPEI TIMES
Tsai Chung-nan ((
With the help of Tsai, who was a first-round pick in the this year's draft, the Bulls have made a charge to the top of the standings.
Tzeng was the Lions' overall first pick two years ago and since then has become the Tainan club's brightest asset.
Both players have made special contributions to their respective teams, but their rivalry began at the school where they both learned their trade.
In Taiwan there is a "senior-junior schoolmate" concept, which basically means that seniority rather than talent is the factor for "respect."
Tsai enrolled at Taipei Physical Education Junior College (now the Taipei Physical Education College) first and became a key player on the team, when Tzeng joined the school and, though a rookie, became Tsai's senior schoolmate.
The two shared the same dorm room, worked out together and pitched as a team.
It did not last however, as the two friends drifted apart and then fell out with each other.
There have been many rumors about their antagonism to each other since then and Tsai is said not to recognize Tzeng as a former schoolmate.
Partly as a result, games between the Bulls and Lions have become needle matches.
TML News
Taichung and Taipei batters combined to set a record in futility on March 31, playing to a 0-0 tie in 12 innings.
It was the first scoreless draw to go the full distance allowed under TML rules.
The two sides combined without success to strike out 23 times, with Taichung starter Huang Chin-chih getting 14 to set a TML league record for local pitchers.
Among the Latin and North American imports with the Taichung Agan roster this year are Victor Cepeda and Juan Quintanilla. Cepeda pitched last year for Carolina in the Puerto Rican League while Quintanilla was 4-2 during the regular season for Taichung last year.
Quintanilla pitched a complete game to win Game 6 of last season's TML Championship series to give Taichung the title.
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
Dubbed a “motorway for cyclists” where avid amateurs can chase Tadej Pogacar up mountains teeming with the highest concentration of professional cyclists per square kilometer in the world, Spain’s Costa Blanca has forged a new reputation for itself in the past few years. Long known as the ideal summer destination for those in search of sun, sea and sand, the stretch of coast between Valencia and Alicante now has a winter vocation too. During the season break in December and January, the region experiences an invasion of cyclists. Star names such as three-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe
AGING WELL: Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, 22, was sent packing after being dispatched by world No. 97, Laura Siegemund, the second-oldest player in the draw at 36 Novak Djokovic yesterday created a slice of Grand Slam history on his way into the Australian Open third round, but last year’s women’s finalist Zheng Qinwen was knocked out in the biggest shock so far. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, in-form Coco Gauff, two-time Melbourne winner Naomi Osaka and a rampant Carlos Alcaraz were all victors on a rainy day four. Play was suspended on the outside courts for a couple of hours in the early evening because of the wet weather. That led to the rescheduling of a women’s doubles match between wild-cards Tsao Chia-yi of Taiwan and Thailand’s Peangtarn Plipuech and 11th
RSS