Taiwan’s professional baseball league (CPBL) held its annual draft in Taipei on Wed. (Dec. 28), with a total of 21 amateur players selected to bolster the four ballclubs’ line-up for the next season.
The four CPBL teams took turns, in reverse order of their finishing in the 2011 season, as they picked from a pool of the best available amateurs – many of whom already seen action in major IBAF international competitions of past years.
Top Draft honor went to Lin Chen-Hua, a sidearm righty pitcher, as chosen by the Sinon Bulls team.
A member of the Taiwan national squad for the 2011 Baseball World Cup competition, the 23-year old Lin was rated as a leading prospect this year.
Local Taiwanese media have already reported a likely figure of NT$ 4 million (~ USD 133,000) as a signing bonus offered by the ballclub to ensure his signature on the contract.
In the press interview after the draft, Lin Chen-Hua said, “It’s a nice surprise for me to be the Number One draft pick. Sinon Bulls is an excellent ballclub, and they give rookies lots of opportunity to prove their worth… For the coming season, my goal is to get at least 8 wins, and have ERA of 3.0 or less.”
The two teams that followed in the 2nd and 3rd spots – Brother Elephants and Lamigo Monkeys – also took pitchers to reinforce their rotation, by selecting RHP’s Lin Yu-Ching and Lin Wang-Yi respectively.
Lin Wang-Yi, the 3rd pick overall, had playing experience in the U.S.
He was signed to a minor league contract by the MLB Red Sox organization in 2005, and played mostly in the U.S. Gulf Coast League for the GCL Red Sox team.
However, he was released at the end of 2009 season and subsequently returned to Taiwan to pitch in amateur-rank leagues.
Of particular interest to international baseball fans were the selections for the 4th and 5th spots – going to the Uni-President Lions and the Sinon Bulls respectively.
These two pitchers taken had played in Japan (minor league level) in past years – Huang Chi-Lung (Yomiuri Giants organization) and Lin Yen-Feng (Chiba Lotte Marines organization).
One other special focus was the 3rd round pick (12th overall) by Uni-President Lions in choosing the 31-year old infielder prospect Luo Kuo-Tzen.
Luo, a former TV sportscaster covering the baseball scene, had received much attention for pursuing his dream of playing professional ball in Taiwan.
He persisted this dream request, despite the perceived difficulties and intense competition from youngsters who are mostly about ten years younger than him.
Luo had to take leave from his sportscaster job (with Taiwan’s all-sports Videoland TV channel).
With much misgivings from many quarters, Luo at 30-year-old would sign up for regimented training with the farm team of the Uni-President Lions for the past two seasons.
Luo’s determined drive and stubborn quest of his baseball dream, in giving up the limelight of television sports for the austere grind of daily training games, has been covered as an uplifting news story in the local press,
It is Taiwan’s own version of American real-life story of Texas high school teacher Jim Morris, who reached the big league as a rookie pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1999.
That story was written up by Morris with a co-author, titled “The Oldest Rookie”, and was made into a Hollywood film, The Rookie (in 2002), starring Dennis Quaid in the lead.
When interviewed by the press, Luo said, “Being selected by the Lions ballclub in the draft is truly ‘a dream come true’ for me. I will do whatever it takes to help the team to win. When I get a chance to play, it would be great for get a good hit in a close game, to score runs for the victory. It will be a wonderful feeling to enjoy the applause from the fans in the ballpark.”
CPBL ballclubs have started winter training this month, and will continue into January and February – with a break for the Lunar New Year in the final weeks of January.
According to information from league officials, the 2012 CPBL season will commence in March.
