Local baseball fans have expressed disappointment with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ roster for a three-game exhibition series in Taiwan, but organizers said the roster was unlikely to change.
The US Major League team on Tuesday announced its 33-man split squad that will play games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. While all-star hitter Manny Ramirez is scheduled to visit, the roster includes only three starters and 17 players with Major League experience.
Fans expressed their resentment on the Internet, saying that the roster was “watered down,” with some ticket holders demanding refunds. Unhappy fans have also established a Facebook page to demand their money back.
“We have been working very hard with the Dodgers to bring as many starters as possible to Taiwan. I believe we’ve done our best and we will accept every refund demand,” said Eric Chang, president of Bros Sports, which is organizing the event.
Ramirez, first baseman James Loney and second baseman Ronnie Belliard are the only players on the roster who are expected to make the starting list in the upcoming season. The Dodgers’ top four pitchers — Hiroki Kuroda, Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley and Vicente Padilla — will not make the trip.
Local fans complained that the roster pales in comparison with the one that visited Taiwan in 1993 when the Dodgers brought almost all the players on its 25-man roster.
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