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05/11/2003 Archived Entry: "Taiwan Baseball News: Not Even SARS Can Stop Baseball"
Taiwan Baseball News: Not Even SARS Can Stop Baseball
By Andrew Wong
Brother Elephants 12 President Lions 3
The World Health Organization has said that the capital of Taiwan, Taipei, has been one of the hardest SARS-hit areas on the island but that hasn't deterred the Chinese Professional Baseball League from continuing play nor has it deterred the number of fans that have come out to see the games. Okay, maybe the games of the Makoto Gida and First Securities Agan...
Last night before 6,579 fans at Tainan Stadium, the Brother Elephants scored five runs in the top half of the first inning and then five more in the third to coast to a 12-3 romp over the hapless President Lions (20-14-0).
Right fielder Chen-ming Pang was named the Game MVP as he went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and six RBIs. He hit his third home run of the season. Second baseman Shun-shian Fong finished at 1-for-3 with two runs plated, short stop Rue-chang Chen went 2-for-5 with one run and center fielder Chih-yuen Chen delivered the big blow with his fourth homer of the year, a two run blast off Lions pitcher Po-chang Sheng, who had come on in relief of starter Yang-kai Chen. Chih-yuen Chen finished 1-for-3 with three runs scored and two more driven in for the Elephants (15-17-1). Yang-kai Chen only lasted two innings as he gave up six runs, four of them earned, on three hits. Sheng faired no better as he scattered three hits and gave up five runs, although only one of which was earned thanks to four errors committed behind him.
Lost in the middle of this hitting barrage was the fact that the Elephants got a solid performance on the mound from American native Jonathan Hurst, who surrendered three earned runs on 12 hits. The Leos actually outhit the Elephants by one but could not muster the clutch base hit with men in scoring position.
With the loss, the Lions could feel their chances of catching the idle Sinon Bulls slipping away as they fell four games back. The Elephants are now eight back.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Elephants 5 0 5 1 0 0 0 1 0 12 11 1
Lions 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 3 12 4
WP: Jonathan Hurst (3-2-0)
LP: Yang-kai Chen (0-3-0)
HR: RF Cheng-ming Pang (Elephants) (3, off Yang-kai Chen), CF Chih-yuen Chen (Elephants) (4, off Po-chang Sheng)
Game MVP: Cheng-ming Pang
Attendance: 6,579
Venue: Tainan Stadium, Taiwan
Game time: 3:20
Makoto Gida 16 First Securities Agan 8
Why do the teams that struggle have the most transactions of foreign players?
Dominican native Javier Samboy made his 2003 CPBL debut for the First Securities Agan last night in front of a sparse crowd of 755 at Kaoshung Stadium and was rocked for five runs, four earned, in only 2 2/3 innings of work as his team was doubled 16-8 by the Makoto Gida. He threw 74 pitches.
Samboy has pitched seven career games in the CPBL with a 0-1-0 record and a 4.50 ERA in six innings.
Gida right fielder Cheng-han Wu went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBIs and was named the Game's MVP. Meanwhile, teammate and first baseman Jia-hsian Hsieh hit his sixth home run of the season with a three-run blast as he finished 1-for-3 with two runs plated and three RBIs. Third baseman Tsung-kwei Chang finished the evening 2-for-6 with one run and another driven in. The number nine spot has always been consistent for the Gida as second baseman Yi-shian Lin went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and one RBI.
American native Ned Daley started for the Gida and picked up the win, going five innings and gave up two runs, both earned, on six hits. He improved to 1-3-0. His team almost blew the win as Shih-ching Tsai gave up six earned runs on seven hits in relief before fellow American Bobby Munoz came on and pitched one scoreless inning, giving up just the lone hit.
That's the way it has been for these two teams but the Agan have been worse as they fell to 7-24-1.
Dominican native Manuel Kranlogs started at second base for the Agan last night and finished 1-for-3.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Gida 0 0 5 2 6 2 0 1 0 16 15 0
Agan 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 0 8 16 2
WP: Ned Daley (1-3-0)
LP: Javier Sambody (0-1-0)
HR: 1B Jia-hsian Hsieh (Gida) (6)
Game MVP: RF Cheng-han Wu (Gida)
Attendance: 755
Venue: Kaoshung Stadium, Taiwan
Game time: 3:28
Today's Games
No games scheduled.
2003 Chinese Professional Baseball League standings
W L T GB Pct.
1. Sinon Bulls 23 9 1 --- .719
2. China Trust Whales 19 12 3 3.5 .613
3. President Lions 20 14 0 4.0 .588
4. Brother Elephants 15 17 1 8.0 .469
5. Makoto Gida 13 21 0 11.0 .382
6. First Securities Agan 7 24 1 15.5 .226
