A sellout crowd of 12,000-plus is expected to pack the Sinjhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City this evening where the Major League All-Stars are set to take the field against Taiwan’s national team in the opener of the Taiwan All-Star Series.
Manager Bruce Bochy of the San Francisco Giants will lead a crew of big leaguers that includes household names such as Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and Jeremy Guthrie to take on the best and the brightest that Taiwan has to offer in an unprecedented showdown.
To top all that, President Ma Ying-jeou will represent the host nation by tossing the opening pitch to signify the level of commitment the nation has devoted to making the event possible.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
“It’s an honor to be the host of an event like this. On behalf of the 4 million residents of New Taipei City, I’d like to welcome our very special guests from the MLB,” New Taipei City Mayor Chu Li-luen said at Sunday night’s press conference.
Left-hander Yang Yao-hsun of Japan’s Softbank Hawks is set to take the mound for Taiwan in tonight’s contest and he is facing an MLB lineup that features a heart of the order consisting of Cano and Granderson of the New York Yankees and Michael Morse of the Washington Nationals.
As for the visitors, Guthrie of the Baltimore Orioles is set to get the nod from Bochy in the opener and most likely Game 4 of the five-game series. He has his work cut out for him as Taiwan skipper Chen Wei-cheng counters the All-Stars with a potent lineup that showcases three minor leaguers in Lin Tseh-hsuan (Boston Red Sox), Luo Guo-hui (Seattle Mariners) and Chen Chun-shu (Cleveland Indians).
? WANG A FREE AGENT
Staff writer, with CNA
Taiwanese pitcher Wang Chien-ming, whose contract with the Washington Nationals ended this season, filed for free agency on Sunday, but he is “most likely to re-sign” with the club, according to Major League Baseball’s official Web site.
The right-hander, back home to play for the national squad in the Taiwan All-Star Series, is among eight Washington Nationals players who became free agents.
“The two sides continue to talk, but they are not close to a deal,” the report on the Web site said.
Wang, who was sidelined for nearly two years with a serious shoulder injury, returned to the major leagues with the Nationals on July 29 and finished the season with a 4-3 record and a 4.04 ERA in 11 starts.
The Washington Nationals have reportedly allowed Wang to throw either up to 60 pitches or for three innings in the series between Taiwan’s national team and the MLB All-Stars, but without a contract in hand and a recent history of injuries, Wang could be taking a considerable risk appearing in the exhibition series.
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