100 Years of Baseball in Taiwan
This year. 2006, is the 100th anniversary of baseball playing in Taiwan. After Japan annexted the Kingdom of Ryukyu (Okinawa) in 1879 AD, in that same breath, in 1895, Japan got the Manchu Dynasty China (Ch’ing Kuo), after a Sino-Japanese War, to cede Taiwan over to the imperial Japan in perprtuity. A Republic of Taiwan was declared then, but the leaderless people could not withstand the Imperial Armies invading to occupy the island and within 6 weeks time, the Japanese armies reached then the Capital City, Tainan. Japan wanted to make Taiwan an agricultural basin for the growing empire and to culturally convert people of the new colony more akin to her own, and so, schools were established and along with that, baseball playing was introduced to Taiwan. For one hundred years, baseball has been practiced and enjoyed in Taiwan. After the end of WW II, Taiwan becomes under the occupation of Nationalist China until present. But, Chinese are more of basket-ball players and so they did not pay too much attention to baseball as such untill one of the aboriginal village schoolers won a Asian Chiampionship and Little leagurers won in World Chiampionship games, baseball only then caught the official eyes. But it has been a sport played and enjoyed by the people continually for one hundred years by now.
Many players exceeded in their performances and made their scenes in other countries’ ball fields. They were picked by Japanese major leagues first, and then by US leagues. Among those Taiwanese players who have made US scenes are Wang Chien-Min of the New York Yankees and Kuo Hung-chih who is with Los Angelis Tigers. Fox TV in introducing them to the viewers, twice displayed the map of Taiwan in different color other than that of China, even introduced their hometown Tainan. The other city in the map was Taipei, and so, showing the old and new capitals of Taiwan. Wang is just voted by Yankee fans to be the best player of the team. His insistance on making clear his root, Taiwan, put the almost forgotten National Flag of Taiwan(ROC) to be shown in the world TV coverages. Olympic games and many other international games forbid Taiwan teams to disply the Taiwanese Color (Flag) because of an insane insistance made by China. There are two titles given to Wang, one is “the Glory of Taiwan”, and the other, “the Son of Taiwan”. Surely, Wang Chien-min’s spectacular performance in the Major Leagues games this year is an apt comment on Taiwan’s One Hundred Years History of Baseball Playing there.