The promotional poster for the World Baseball Classic’s (WBC) Pool A to be held in Taichung has been updated to include photographs of players from all the competing teams, after the absence of Taiwan players was protested with Major League Baseball (MLB), the event’s organizer.
The updated poster includes Taiwan infielder Lin Tzu-wei (林子偉) and four other players, each representing one country that are to compete in Pool A, from March 8 to March 12 at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium.
The countries are Taiwan, Cuba, Italy, the Netherlands and Panama.
Photo courtesy of the Taichung City Government
Bros Sports Marketing Co, which is responsible for organizing Pool A matches, yesterday released a statement by WBC president Jim Small expressing regret over the incident.
“We posted a World Baseball Classic graphic to social media that inadvertently did not include a player from Chinese Taipei [Taiwan], and we regret the error and the inconvenience we have caused to our friends in Taiwan,” Small said.
“We truly appreciate the opportunity to bring the World Baseball Classic back to Taiwan, and we look forward to staging a successful event,” he said.
Prior to yesterday, the poster featured at least one player from all countries except Taiwan in Pool A.
The company said on Friday that “a stern protest demanding immediate rectification of this issue has been filed with the MLB.”
CPBL commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said on social media yesterday that Small’s statement was duly noted.
Tsai has previously said that the CPBL would demand action from the WBC’s organizer until the issue is rectified.
After the poster update yesterday, Bros Sports Marketing Co wrote on social media that the WBC had heard the fans’ protest.
“No matter what the reason is, we will not exclude Taiwan’s team,” Bros Sports Marketing Co said.
Taiwan’s first game is scheduled for March 8, when they are to take on Panama.
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