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Updated Friday, March 12, 2010 9:52 am TWN, CNA

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Dodgers arrive to enthusiastic welcome from baseball fans

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- A split squad of the Los Angeles Dodgers of the U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) arrived in Taipei yesterday for three exhibition games against an all-star team from Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).

This is the Dodgers' second visit to Taiwan, following a series of exhibition games here 17 years ago.

Led by Dodgers manager Joe Torre, the squad, whose members include two Taiwanese players — pitcher Kuo Hung-chih and infielder Hu Chin-lung — as well as MLB all-star hitter Manny Ramirez, received an enthusiastic welcome from a large crowd of baseball fans upon their arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

Torre waved to the fans and signed autographs, while Ramirez looked casual and cheerful, greeting local fans with smiles and hand gestures.

Kuo, who emerged as the Dodgers' top set-up man last year, received an earnest welcome from faithful fans. He told reporters that he is in good shape and confident of pitching well in his upcoming exhibition game.

The left-hander is scheduled to start a March 14 game to be held in Kaohsiung, the third of the three-game series. As usual, he will pitch only one inning.

Meanwhile, infielder Hu said he is very happy to come home with his team to play in front of local fans.

The Dodgers split squad includes 13 players on the MLB roster. Torre announced in Los Angeles Tuesday that left-hander Eric Stults and right-hander Josh Towers will start for the Dodgers in the first two exhibition games to be played at Tienmu Stadium in Taipei March 12 and 13.

The Dodgers have so far not revealed in which of the three games Ramirez, a major draw of the exhibition series, will play.

Another focal point of the series will be to see how Chen Chin-feng of the CPBL's La New Bears performs against his former team.

Chen became the first Taiwanese baseball player to perform in the Major Leagues in September 2002 after being called up by the Dodgers. He appeared in 19 games between 2002 and 2005 for the big-league club before returning to Taiwan to play in 2006.

While the Dodgers are in Taiwan, Kuo and Hu will join coaches Tim Wallach and Jim Slaton in hosting a clinic for young Taiwanese baseball players at Tienmu Stadium prior to Friday's game.

Torre will meet with Taiwanese baseball promoters and experts in a seminar scheduled for March 13 to offer his recommendations on how Taiwan can develop the sport, particularly in light of the game-fixing problems that have plagued the CPBL.

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