Jason Pan, in Chinese Taipei
Potential roster for CPBL (Chinese Professional Baseball League) All-Star Game was announced earlier this week.
Gathering the limelight are the top hitter and pitcher in the league thus far this season – Sinon Bulls slugger Lin Yi-Chuan, and pitching ace Kamada Yuya of the Uni-President Lions.
Lin Yi-Chuan (nicknamed One Punch) has been on a tear, and is number one in hits (71), RBIs (40), total bases (109), and third in homers with 5.
On a record-setting evening, the Sinon first baseman hit for the cycle, going 4-for-5 with 6 RBIs, to lead the Sinon Bulls in a 17-9 thrashing of the Brother Elephants on May 10.
Lin thus became only the fifth Taiwanese player in the Chinese Taipei CPBL’s history to achieve the rare hit-for-the-cycle feat.
For Lions’ pitching ace, Kamada has been superb in posting the league’s best ERA at 1.55, and has most wins with 10 in 11 game appearances.
Lin and Kamada will surely be at the All-Star Game, but other players need to receive enough the voting ballots from their own team supporters to get into the line-up.
Rookie pitchers Lin Cheng-Hua (Sinon Bulls), Lin Yu-Ching (Brother Elephants) came before the press and fans to urge support for their inclusion at the event.
Also making their appeals for votes to get into the All-Star roster were Lions’ DH hitter Pan Wu-Hsiung and outfielder Chen Kuan-Ren of the Lamigo Monkeys.
The 2012 CPBL All-Star Game will take place at the “Xinzhuang” Stadium of New Taipei City on July 22. The Home Run Derby will highlight the day before.
