t Taiwan's professional baseball All-Star Game in Taichung City's Intercontinental Stadium in central Taiwan yesterday. During an eight-run outburst in the sixth inning by the Red Team, dmedia T-Rex outfielder Chen Yuan-jia blasted a three-run homer, pacing his team to a 10-6 victory over the White Team.
For his effort, Chen was selected as the MVP in this annual midsummer classic of Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).
The near-capacity crowd of over 14,000 fans got their money's worth, as they saw a total of five home runs, 24 hits, and 16 runs scored in the contest.
In the recent times, the CPBL All-Star Game has pitted the Red Team (Taipei and Northern Taiwan based ballclubs: Brother Elephants, Chinatrust Whales, and Dmedia T-Rex) against the White Team (Central and Southern Taiwan based ballclubs: Sinon Bulls, Uni-President Lions, and La New Bears).
Taiwan's national Olympic baseballers also got into the act, as Chang "The Jungle Prince" Tai-Shan ripped a solo homer in the 3rd stanza.
National Olympic team pitchers Pan "Du Du" Wei-lun, Ni "Earth God" Fu-Deh, and Hsu "Taiwan's Hideo Nomo" Wen Hsiung all saw action on the mound.
Other players on the Olympic national team 24-man roster who started in the All-Star Game last night included position players Peng "Cha Cha" Chien-Ming, Pan "Ta-ke" Wu-Hsiung, Lin "Big Brother" Chi-Sheng,Chang "Fire Brother"Chien-Ming,and catcher Yeh Chun-Chang, otherwise known as "The Invincible Robot."
Taiwan's Olympic baseball team will prepare for Beijing by playing a series of warm-up games against CPBL teams in early August.
Prior to leaving for Beijing (scheduled for Aug. 5), manager Hong Yi-Chung will finalize the Olympic roster. He has the option of changing up to five players on the roster as it stands now.
Taipei opens the Olympic competition against the Netherlands at Beijing Wukesong Baseball Field on Aug. 13.
The CPBL also holds a home run derby on All-Star Weekend, and this year it was won by Dominican slugger Tilson Brito, as he slammed 27 homers in the final round to defeat Hsieh Jia-hsien.
Brito, a former U.S. Major Leaguer with the Toronto Blue Jays, set several Taiwan Home Run Derby records, including the highest total (46), and most consecutive homers (12).
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