Next year's Taiwan-Japan baseball exchange series is to be held at the Taipei Dome from Feb. 25 to 28, organizers announced yesterday.
Held under the slogan “Ready for Classic,” the event is to serve as warm-up games for Taiwan’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) team ahead of the WBC in March next year, Bros Sports Marketing Co told a news conference.
Taiwan’s WBC squad is to play one game each against Japan’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times
The opening game on Feb. 25 is to feature the SoftBank Hawks against the Chinese Professional Baseball League’s (CPBL) Chinatrust Brothers, with the first pitch at 7pm.
On Feb. 26, Taiwan’s WBC team is to face SoftBank at 7pm.
The following day, Feb. 27, the team is to play the Nippon-Ham Fighters, with the game starting at 3pm.
The final game on Feb. 28 is to see the CPBL’s Wei Chuan Dragons take on Nippon-Ham, also at 3pm.
At the news conference, SoftBank Hawks chief baseball officer Kenji Johjima said in a video message that this would be the first time the team has played in Taiwan.
Johjima recalled competing in Taiwan in 2002 and praised local fans for their knowledge of Japanese baseball and hospitality.
He also said he fondly remembers Taiwan’s night markets and local dishes, including stir-fried water spinach and braised pork rice.
Nippon-Ham Fighters chief baseball officer Hideki Kuriyama also said in a pre-recorded message that his team played exhibition games in Taiwan earlier this year and was deeply impressed by Taiwan’s championship victory at the WBSC Premier12 tournament late last year.
Ticket prices range from NT$880 to NT$2,880 for games from Feb. 25 to 27.
Tickets for the Feb. 28 game would be priced between NT$680 and NT$2,680.
A limited number of presale tickets would be made available for CTBC cardholders at noon on Dec. 23, with general ticket sales starting at noon on Dec. 24.
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