TAICHUNG, Taiwan | Taiwan Baseball Hall of Fame welcomed the Class of 2022 as the 10th delegation to be inducted. The induction ceremony was held at the Chinese Professional Baseball League’s annual All-Star Game and the ceremony was witnessed by more than 18,000 fans at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium.
Among the famed legends, Taiwan’s first Major
League Baseball player Chin-Feng Chen was the fan favorite when he was
introduced to the crowd. Chen was known not only for being the first Taiwanese
Major Leaguer but his frequent and valuable participation at international
tournaments representing Chinese Taipei during his decorated career. His heroic
performance at the 34th IBAF World Cup Baseball was edited into the anthem
and has been the fan-favorite version since. Chen returned home after his brief
but significant Major League career and led CPBL’s expansion team La new Bears
to its first Taiwan Series title in 2006. Chen played another 11 seasons before
hanging his cleats following the 2016 season.
"It is my greatest honour to be inducted with the legendary predecessors here. In the future, I will continue to contribute to baseball." Chin-Feng Chen.
Chen is the youngest member of the Hall and he currently serves as the deputy general manager and the minor league manager of Fubon Guardians Baseball Club.
CPBL’s late Commissioner Harvey Tung was also
elected to the Hall as one of the only two inductees during the professional
era category. Harvey Tang founded the defunct Mercuries Tigers as one of the
four founding franchises of the CPBL in 1990. He was recognized to be the final
piece of the puzzle in inaugurating professional baseball in Taiwan.
After the Tigers folded at the end of 1999, Tung became the 5th Commissioner in CPBL history in 2002. He was widely regarded as the key personnel in the merger of the CPBL and Taiwan Major League, ending the two-league war for six years. Tung passed away during his tenure in 2004. In addition to his contribution to professional baseball, he was also presented with a posthumous honor as “Father of Taiwan Slow-Pitch Softball” to honour his contribution to the sport.
Other legendary baseball players were inducted
this year including Ta-Chuan Kuan, a well-known slugger in the 60s, whose name
was engraved on the bleacher wall of Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium (Philippines), alongside Babe
Ruth and “Iron Horse” Lou Gehrig, for winning the home run title of the 6th
Asian Baseball Championship.
Lai-Chang Wei, known as the “Godfather of Taichung Baseball”, Chin-Chuan Chen, who was regarded as the “Patriarch of Nan-Ying Baseball”, and Shu-Mu Chen, the “Father of Kainan Baseball” are also among the baseball legends inducted to the Hall.
The Taiwan Baseball Hall of Fame was founded in 2014 and has inducted forty members. The annual induction exhibition and presentation of the Hall of Fame plaque will be held on the 5th of August in Lungtan, Taoyuan.
