Players in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) yesterday participated in the Home Run Derby and Skills Challenge, after playing in an All-Star Game on Saturday in which the White Team prevailed over the Red Team by one run.
For the first time, Australian players were invited to the Home Run Derby, with Andrew Campbell and Logan Wade coming from the Australian Baseball League’s (ABL) Brisbane Bandits.
After a preliminary round between six contestants, it came down to a duel between Campbell and defending titlist Yang Yao-hsun of the Lamigo Monkeys.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
Campbell won in the final, hitting four homers, while Yang knocked out three.
“The pressure was on as I faced Taiwan’s big stars, but it was an enjoyable experience,” Campbell said. “I hope that my participation helped to build up a closer working relationship between Taiwanese and Australian baseball.”
In Saturday’s All-Star Game, the Red Team, sponsored by the Bank of Taiwan, scored in the opening frame, then surged in front 2-1 going into the third inning.
The White Team, sponsored by Mercuries Life Insurance, went on the defensive.
Outfielder Su Chih-chieh from the Uni-President Lions drove in two players with a double, accounting for two of the White Team’s three runs to make it 4-2, and helping the White Team to hold on to the lead until the clock ran out.
Although the opposition scored three late runs in the ninth, the White Team hung on for an 8-7 victory.
Su had two hits, which put his side in front for good and for which he was awarded Most Valuable Player (MVP).
“It was a surprise for me to get the MVP honor. My Lions team had only a few days rest and I did not get much batting practice over the past week, so I was a bit rusty,” Su said after the game.
“I thought that other players did well tonight. It was not just my effort — the win belonged to everyone on this squad who made a contribution,” he added.
The big numbers were posted by the Red Team’s Hu Chin-lung from the Fubon Guardians, who hit a solo homer against Brothers pitcher Chen Hu to open the scoring in the first inning.
Hu, who had a brief stint in the US’ Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but returned to Taiwan to join the EDA Rhinos in 2013, went 2-for-4 and finished the contest with four RBIs.
SIBLING RIVALRY: Marc Marquez was locked in a duel with his little brother, falling behind at one point before recovering for his first season-opening victory since 2014 Six-time world champion Marc Marquez yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening Thailand Grand Prix to complete a dominant debut weekend at his new Ducati Lenovo Team, having also romped to Saturday’s sprint. The Spanish great took the 26-lap grand prix by 1.732 seconds for his 63rd MotoGP victory from younger brother Alex Marquez, who is still seeking a first checkered flag, with Francesco Bagnaia third to complete an all-Ducati podium. It completed a perfect weekend for Marc Marquez, who took pole position, the sprint victory and the grand prix win for a maximum 37 points to open the 22-leg 2025 campaign. He led from
VALUABLE POINT: Relegation-threatened Valencia snatched a thrilling 3-3 draw at CA Osasuna thanks to a remarkable backheel volley by Umar Sadiq Barcelona on Sunday secured a comfortable 4-0 win over Real Sociedad to move back top of La Liga. Aritz Elustondo’s early red card gave Hansi Flick’s side a comfortable afternoon, with Gerard Martin, Marc Casado, Ronald Araujo and Robert Lewandowski on the score sheet. Atletico Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao on Saturday to temporarily knock the Catalans from their perch, while Real Madrid, third, lost at Real Betis Balompie. Flick was able to rotate his side a little ahead of the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 visit to face SL Benfica tomorrow and still move one point above Atletico. “There were a lot of things that
AC Milan’s slender hopes of reaching next season’s UEFA Champions League took another hit on Thursday with a 2-1 defeat at Bologna which left them eight points from Serie A’s top four. Sergio Conceicao’s team sit eighth, some way behind fourth-placed Juventus after losing an entertaining contest at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, a match which was rescheduled from October last year due to torrential rain and flooding. Swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, much of which is fertile agricultural land, had been left under water following a massive autumn downpour. Dan Ndoye prodded home the decisive goal in the 82nd minute
Former Australian motorcycle gang member-turned-golfer Ryan Peake, who served a lengthy jail term for assault, yesterday produced a “life-changing” maiden win to qualify for The Open Championship. Peake held his nerve for a one-stroke victory at the New Zealand Open, earning him a berth at the major in Portrush, Northern Ireland, in July, pending clearance to travel as a convicted criminal. The 31-year-old from Perth celebrated animatedly and was showered with champagne by friends on the 18th green of the Millbrook Resort course near Queenstown after a redemption story rarely seen in the refined sport of golf. Peake held back tears as he
RSS