Taiwan vs. the KC Royals???!!!

Well, the above scenario could happen if Taiwan manages to snag the #2 seed out of the Asian regional qualifying bracket. The matchup would be very memorable for the fans of Taiwan, although the Royals are one of the worst teams in the MLB.

Link

Brief news on Wang....

Link

News.....

It has been recently announced that Taiwan will host the Asian qualifying tourney for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Being the host is important to Taiwan's success. The last time Taiwan played host to a major international tourney - the 2001 Baseball World Cup, it placed 3rd - beating Japan.

More news on the draft....

From the Taiwan News Website: Link

Supposedly, Elephants #3 pick, D.J. Yeh is getting attention from the Red Sox organization.

CPBL Draft Results...

As expected, the LA New Bears selected Chin-Feng Chen first overall in the CPBL draft.

The Whales selected RHP Che-Yi Su (on far right in the linked pic) with the 2nd overall pick in the first round.

The rest of the first round selections were as follows:

#3 pick - Elephants: LHP Ding-Jen Yeh
#4 pick - Lions: LHP Pai-Ching Chiang
#5 pick - Cobras: RHP Chia-Hung Chen
#6 pick - Bulls: OF Chien-Jung Su

For the rest of the team's picks, you can go to the CPBL's official website (in Chinese) for further detail.

Happy Holidays!!!!

May all of you have a:

Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year!!!

WBC News....

MLB article on Wang and Kuo.

Chen in the CPBL????

There is a good possibility that pioneer Chin-Feng Chen may play for the LA New Bears in the CPBL next year. Chen would join an up and coming team that already has slugger Chih-Sheng Lin and new pitching addition Kevin Huang. Chen has not given up on his dreams to play in the Majors, and probably would seek a clause in his contract that would allow him to pursue a ML position if the opportunity arose.

For more, read here.

Lin officially an Eagle....

The Rakuten Eagles have officially signed Y.C. Lin to a contract.

The official site of the Eagles has more info on Lin's signing in Japanese.

Congrats to Lin! Make us proud!!

"You" Da Man!!!

Who's Da Man?!

Future Puppeteer??

Yang with future teammates (4th from right)

The Nippon Ham Fighters officially introduced their draft picks to the public yesterday.

Yang, the top pick for the Fighters, will wear # 24, and have his name emblazoned on the back of his jersey as "You", the Japanese pronounciation of his Chinese character.

The waiting game....

While Japan and Korea have submitted very strong rosters for the WBC, Taiwan is still trying to get clearance for their top 2 pitchers: Wang and Kuo. Because both pitchers have a history of serious arm injuries, the parent clubs are reluctant to release these 2 kids (Read here for more on Wang and his status with the Yanks brass) for participation in the WBC. With injuries to top pitchers Tsao, Chang, and Hsu, the cupboard is pretty bare if the Dodgers and Yankees have their way. Also, the Taiwanese national team has not yet secured the services of top hitter Chin-Feng Chen whose professional career has come to a screeching halt. In past competitions against top pitchers from Korea and Japan, Chen was one of the few bright spots for an anemic offense.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that Wang and Kuo get a chance to shine for their country. I'm sure a strict pitch count will be imposed if they get the green light, but having Wang and Kuo is vital to Taiwan having any shot at beating Japan and Korea.

Hu Chin Lung...

"The Dynamic Duo" - Hu and Chen

Was named by Baseball America as the 10th best prospect in the LA Dodgers organization.

Here's what BA wrote about Hu:
Background: One scout described Vero Beach's double-play combo of Hu and Abreu as "the traveling circus show" because of their penchant for defensive highlights. Hu finished second to Abreu in the Florida State League batting race, then hit .343 for Taiwan at the World Cup tournament following the season.
Strengths: While Abreu is a plus defender, Hu is off the charts. He's slightly undersized but wiry strong with outstanding body control and pure shortstop actions. His range is extraordinary, as are his hands, and his arm and speed are both above average. Hu made an adjustment at the plate, curtailing his leg kick, which improved his balance and prevented him from flying open during his swing. He has surprising pop, uses the whole field, and has a good feel for the strike zone.
Weaknesses: Hu has a tendency to bail on good breaking balls and he needs to become more selective. His small frame doesn't lend considerable room for projection.
The Future: Hu should be a .270 hitter with 10 home runs annually in the big leagues. Ticketed for Double-A, he should reach LA by the end of 2007.

Sayonara Lin????

Y.C. Lin

It looks like the Rakuten Golden Eagles have been busy scouting players in Taiwan. Earlier this fall, Chin-Feng Chen was given a look by the NPB club.


Now, word is the Rakuten Golden Eagles are close to signing lefty specialist Ying-Chieh Lin. Rakuten was also very interested in star rookie pitcher En-Yu Lin, but the Macoto Cobras were reluctant to part with both of their top pitchers. Sounds like only a matter of time before Lin becomes an Eagle!!!

WBC News.....

From the MLB site: Link

Although Taiwan did not officially release it's 60 man roster, it is probably somewhat similar to this earlier post.

Ming-Chieh Hsu and Chin-Hui Tsao will NOT be playing for Taiwan next March due to recovery from injuries.