Taiwan Baseball Heroes Exhibition to open

2014-12-08

Featuring the professional histories and personal items of four Taiwan baseball players who have accomplished the most overseas, the Taiwan Baseball Heroes Exhibition is set to open Dec. 6 at the National Taiwan Science Education Center in Taipei City.

Starring in this exhibit are outfielder Chen Chin-feng and pitcher Kuo Hong-chih, both of whom played for the Los Angeles Dodgers; pitcher Wang Chien-ming, who has played for a number of U.S. teams including the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals; and outfielder Yang Dai-kang of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

“These players, who together have contributed glorious pages to Taiwan’s baseball history, surely deserve an exhibition,” said Chang Hsien-ming, general manager of event organizer Flight International Marketing Co. Ltd.

More than 200 items belonging to the four will be shown in nine different exhibition areas. Their struggle to become professionals in Japan and the U.S. is told in pictures, while also on display are Chen’s Dodgers jersey, a piece of Kuo’s wrist bone, X-rays of Wang’s injured shoulder and Yang’s 2006 Grand Champion ring.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to watch compelling interviews revealing each player’s inner world and how they regard their beloved sport.

Among the four, the now-37-year-old Chen was the very first Taiwan player to begin his professional career in the U.S. when he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system in 1999.

“I had been in the U.S. for seven years,” explained Chen, who hit 31 home runs and amassed 31 stolen bases in 1999 and was called up in 2002. “I never regret my decision, because I learned so much there.”

Kuo said Chen was his inspiration for joining the Dodgers the following year. “If it were not for Chen, I would not have stayed in the U.S.” Wang also praised Chen’s courage in opening up the route to professional baseball in the U.S. for other Taiwan players. “It took a lot for him to handle living alone in a foreign country.”

With the New York Yankees, Wang tied Minnesota Twins pitcher Johan Santana for the most wins in 2006 with 19, a record he matched in 2007.

The 27-year-old Yang has played in several Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Game series, and was named Most Valuable Player at one of the 2012 games.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=224918&CtNode=413)