With the nation hoping for another Olympic miracle since its best-ever silver-medal finish in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Team Taiwan opens its fourth and possibly final campaign in baseball competition at the Wukesong Baseball Field in Beijing this morning against a solid Netherlands squad.
This year’s competition also includes three perennial powerhouses from the Americas — Cuba, also known as the “Red Lightning,” the US and Canada — as well as Japan, South Korea and host China.
The eight teams will play a round-robin, seven-game preliminary round over the next eight days with a rest day on Sunday before the top four finishers take part in the medal round on Friday next week.
Aside from being the final year that baseball will be in the Olympics, this year’s competition will also feature a different extra-inning rule.
If the game remains tied after the 10th inning, both teams will start the 11th with runners on first and second and no outs to enhance the chances of a scoring play.
Leading the group of Olympians for Taiwan this time around is skipper Hung Yi-chung (La New Bears) whose exceptional leadership rallied Taiwan in adverse conditions to a ticket to Beijing in the Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Taichung back in March.
He will be joined by hitting coach and former Olympian Lu Ming-tsu (Bears) and pitching coach (and former Olympian) Hsieh Chang-hen (Chinatrust Whales), as well as assistant coach Gong Rong-tang (National Taiwan Sport University) in an all-star coaching cast.
The 24-man roster for the trip to Beijing this year has more than its share of returnees from the 2004 campaign, starting with top slugger Chen Chin-fong (Bears), as well as pitchers Tsao Chin-hui (formerly with the Colorado Rockies of the Major League), Chang Chih-chia (Bears), Yang Jien-fu (Sinon Bulls), Pan Wei-luen (President Lions), and Chen Wei-yin (Chunichi Dragons of Japan).
Also selected again are catchers Yeh Jung-chang (Bulls) and Kao Chih-kang (Lions) and infielders Chang Tai-shan (Bulls), Peng Cheng-min (Brother Elephants), and Lin Chih-sheng (Bears).
Rounding out the rest of the team are pitchers Hsu Wen-hsiung (Bears), Nee Fu-deh (Whales), Lee Chen-chang (Taipei Physical Education College), Cheng Kai-wen and Luo Jia-ren of the Chinese Culture University, catcher Chen Fong-min (Bears), infielders Shih Chih-wei (Bears), Chiang Chih-shien (minor leaguer of the Boston Red Sox), Kuo Yen-wen (minor leaguer of the Cincinnati Reds),and outfielders Pan Wu-hsiung (Lions), Luo Guo-hui (minor leaguer of the Seattle Mariners), Lin Tseh-hsuen (minor leaguer of the Boston Red Sox) and Chang Jien-ming (Bulls).
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