LA Dodgers impressed by Taiwan

Dodgers' manager Joe Torre praised Taiwanese baseball players for their toughness and he was also overwhelmed by the warmth of baseball fans on the island.

Torre said that he and his staff all felt that the trip to Taiwan and playing three exhibition games here are both right decisions.

An all-star team from Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) defeated the Dodgers 5 to 2 in the opening game at Taipei's Tianmu Stadium yesterday evening.

Taiwan-born pitcher Hu Ching-lung helped bring two Dodgers teammates home in the eighth inning. “Taiwanese players are not only special in their ability, but also in the way they compete. They are always tough and determined,” said Torre.

He said the decision to visit Taiwan was made in large part because of the two Taiwanese players on the squad – pitchers Kuo Hong-chih and Hu Ching-lung.

It also has to do with the team's tradition, as the Dodgers have always been willing to innovate and explore or initiate exchanges with other parts of the world, evidenced by its 1947 signing of Jackie Robinson to break the color barrier in the big league, said Torre.

Dodgers players were besieged by baseball fans wherever they went in Taipei. Many fans here were able to get autographs from the U.S. players they admire.

Star hitter Manny Ramirez also drew a huge crowd when he visited the stores at the Taipei 101 Tower.

He turned himself into a shutter bug when reporters surrounded him for photos on every step.

Baseball fans in Taipei said they were impressed by the friendliness and congeniality demonstrated by slugger Ramirez and other players.

The Dodgers will play one more game in Taipei today before moving to the Chengching Lake Baseball Stadium in southern Kaohsiung tomorrow.

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