Taiwanese and international sports media lauded slugger Chu Yu-hsien of the Rakuten Monkeys, dubbing him “the new Babe Ruth” and “the world’s home run king” after he blasted another shot out of the ballpark to bring his season total to eight in eight games, but their pitching woes continued as they lost two to the Uni-President Lions over the weekend.
Although Rakuten’s first baseman has had hot hands to start the season, he cooled off somewhat last night, picking up only one hit in four at-bats as his team slumped to second straight defeat to the roaring Lions.
The Monkeys on Friday had made history with their seventh consecutive win, breaking their own 2011 record of six wins to start a season, behind a pitching gem by starter Wang Yi-cheng in a 14-4 rout of the Lions in Tainan.
Photo: Huang Chih-yuan, Taipei Times
However, the Lions have awoken from their early-season slumber, scoring 20 runs over the weekend against Rakuten pitching staff and winning 12-5 yesterday.
MORE FANS
Chu gained more fans around the world when with one runner on, he unloaded on an offering from Lions’ lefty Ryan Feierabend, sending it into the stands over right field.
Photo: Huang Chih-yuan, Taipei Times
Taiwan commentators and netizens said that all of his homers have been from Lions’ pitchers, but no matter how it was done, Chu was the hottest star in baseball.
US sports media have labeled him “the new Babe Ruth,” after the US Major League Baseball star of the early 20th century, for his home run exploits.
Chu led in all of the offense categories in the CPBL, topping the charts with eight dingers, along with 17 RBIs, a batting average of .514 and 18 hits.
Photo: CNA
His form has continued from last year, when he won the League MVP award.
His exploits have led to attention in Japan, where fans are watching the action in Taiwan with the Nippon Baseball League suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japanese sports journalists said many of their baseball fans are excited by Chu’s slugging power and have suggested that a Japanese team sign him.
SATURDAY GAME
In Saturday’s game, Rakuten went ahead 7-2 early on, but the Lions chipped away and were behind 7-6 in the ninth frame when they rocked Rakuten closer Chen Yu-hsuen with two runs for a thrilling comeback win to finish at 8-7 for the home team.
In New Taipei City yesterday, the Fubon Guardians hit three homers to edge out the CTBC Brothers 5-4, with closer Chen Hung-wen chalking up a save in the final inning at the Sinjuang Stadium.
The Guardians celebrated at home, with catcher Tai Pei-feng, first baseman Fan Kuo-chen and slugger Chiang Chih-hsien hitting homers.
In Saturday’s game, it was the Brothers’ pitchers who held firm late, producing a 6-5 win.
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Coco Gauff’s dreams of a first women’s singles title in Melbourne were crushed in the quarter-finals by Paula Badosa. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev was ruffled by a stray feather in his men’s singles quarter-final, but he refocused to beat 12th seed Tommy Paul and reach the semi-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to advance the semi-finals. Hsieh and Ostapenko converted eight of 14 break
The San Francisco Giants signed 18-year-old Taiwanese pitcher Yang Nien-hsi (陽念希) to a contract worth a total of US$500,000 (NT $16.39 million). At a press event in Taipei on Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Giants’ Pacific Rim Area scout Evan Hsueh (薛奕煌) presented Yang with a Giants jersey to celebrate the signing. The deal consisted of a contract worth US$450,000 plus a US$50,000 scholarship bonus. Yang, who stands at 188 centimeters tall and weighs 85 kilograms, is of Indigenous Amis descent. With his fastest pitch clocking in at 150 kilometers per hour, Yang had been on Hsueh’s radar since playing in the HuaNan Cup
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
RSS