Hsinchu Baseball Stadium, which reopened on Friday following a multi-year renovation project, has been closed indefinitely after complaints that its infield dirt is too soft and poses a safety risk to players, the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) said yesterday.
The league said in a statement that it postponed last night’s game between the Wei Chuan Dragons and Fubon Guardians after consultations with the teams and the Hsinchu City Government.
The move comes just days after the stadium reopened on Friday to a sellout crowd of 10,000 following the completion of a three-year NT$1.2 billion (US$40.11 million) renovation project.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
The stadium was closed following a call by the Taiwan Professional Baseball Players Association (TPBPA) earlier yesterday for it to be temporarily shut, citing problems with the field’s soil following games on Friday and Saturday.
During Friday’s game, Wei Chuan Dragons fielder Chang Yu-ming (張祐銘) slipped while running the bases, and third baseman Liu Chi-hung (劉基鴻) injured a finger while attempting to catch a ball that bounced irregularly off the soil, the TPBPA said.
During Saturday’s game, Fubon Guardians outfielder Lin Che-hsuan (林哲瑄) injured his shoulder while fielding a ball, due to stones littering the field being kicked up during play, it said.
The TPBPA said in a statement that it “sincerely urges the league to consider temporarily suspending the scheduling of games” at the stadium to ensure a safe playing environment.
The city government yesterday said it would collect input from players and fans, and would make adjustments accordingly.
Commenting on the temporary closure, Wei Chuan Dragons head coach Yeh Chun-chang (葉君璋) said the stadium “currently has too many problems that pose a risk to players, but if the problems can be worked out, Hsinchu Baseball Stadium will be a great place to play.”
Former Hsinchu mayor Lin Chih-chien (林智堅) on Saturday said on Facebook that the problems rest on his shoulders.
Lin, who resigned from the post to run as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taoyuan mayoral candidate, said that although he is no longer mayor, he would work with the city, the CPBL and the teams to see that improvements can be made at the stadium.
DPP Hsinchu mayoral candidate Shen Hui-hung (沈慧虹) said she was confident that the city government would respond to input from players and fans, and would work with the teams to resolve their issues.
Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶), the party’s Taoyuan mayoral candidate, yesterday said she supports the TPBPA’s position that safety should be the stadium’s top priority, but was skeptical of Lin’s ability to address the problem.
“Lin Chih-chien couldn’t get Hsinchu’s stadium right. Taoyuan’s stadium has also had its share of problems. Should the public trust it to Lin?” she said.
Additional reporting by Wu Ching-cheng, Tsai Chang-sheng and Lee Jung-ping
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