Former MLB player Yu Chang was notably absent from the national team’s World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 roster announced on Monday.
At a news conference for next month’s Premier12 Group B games in Taipei — the nation’s highest-level international baseball tournament this year — national team manager Tseng Hao-chu said that Chang’s absence would affect the team’s offense.
“We’ve all seen his performance at the World Baseball Classic [WBC] last year, so his absence will surely affect us in terms of offense,” said Tseng, who was the national team’s batting coach at last year’s WBC and the 2019 Premier12. “But I believe the other players we’ve chosen can step up to this challenge.”
Photo: CNA
Since joining the Fubon Guardians in July, 29-year-old Chang has become one of the CPBL’s most formidable batters.
In just 47 games, he tied for sixth in home runs with 10, while hitting dingers at a league-leading rate of 13.7 at-bats per homer. He was also walked 40 times, tying for 11th for most walks in the league.
However, Chang, whose first CPBL season ended prematurely, has been unwilling to play for the national team due to a lingering left-hand injury.
A player’s willingness to play, health and stats are the coaching team’s primary concerns when selecting players, Tseng said.
The roster consists of 25 CPBL players and three from the US’ Minor League Baseball, including left-handed pitcher Lin Yu-min, who was promoted to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate late last month.
Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions outfielder Chen Chieh-hsien, who is leading the league in batting average, would be the national team’s captain, Tseng said, adding that the five-time All-Star was chosen for his “hunger for victory.”
CPBL president Tsai Chi-chang said the roster “paves the way for the national team’s preparation for the next round of the WBC and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.”
To prepare for the Premier12, Taiwan would host two warm-up games against the Czech Republic at the Taipei Dome on Nov. 2 and 3, before playing South Korea on Nov. 13.
On Nov. 14, Taiwan are to play the Dominican Republic, followed by Japan on Nov. 16, Australia on Nov. 17 and Cuba on Nov. 18.
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