In two months, I am moving to Taiwan for work (for ~18 months). I’m an American and an avid baseball fan. I know Taiwan has baseball (one of my favorite pitchers as a kid was Chien Ming Wang), however there is not alot of info out there about the CPBL. Is there anyone on this forum who is into baseball and goes to games or watches games? What’s the stadium experience like? How popular is it? Additionally, anyone know of or visit any batting cages in Tainan/Kaohsiung?
Seperate question: How do you follow the MLB? Do you catch alot of games? Is there a community of people who follow the MLB?
Even though baseball is the most popular spectator sports here in Taiwan, attendance for most games is only around 3000. Important games, such as season openers or post season games, and occasionally on the weekends, can draw a crowd around 20K.
Tainan stadium is home to the Uni Lions which just won the 2020 Taiwan Series. The Lions is a great team, filled with young talents, but is known for drawing less fans than the other teams.
Most of the teams now adopted the Korean cheering style, which have speakers playing loud music with cheer leaders standing in front of the fans dancing and chanting.
I suppose it would take some getting used to, but it’s a lot of fun.
The most famous batting cage chain is called Taroko. you can find at least one per major city. There are many smaller batting cages around Tainan and Kaohsiung.
I’ve only been to a couple, but the games are pretty fun. There are only 5 teams, smaller stadiums than the us (bigger than minor leagues though), not that well attended when I went, but enthusiastic fans with songs and cheerleaders like you might have seen with japanese baseball. Tickets and food are cheap, and you can bring your own food and drinks (including booze).
Being a yankee fan (and having dropped 40 bucks on beer) thats awesome. Only so many drinks you can have at the pre-game before they dont let you in at the gate
Honestly I don’t care, I love being at the ballpark and it sounds like a fun atmosphere
I’ve only watched Korean baseball unfortunately, and that was in the vacuum of the covid baseball shutdown
This might be unrelated, but do you live in Tainan. The company is putting us up in housing somewhat outside of the city center (first in science park dorms, then near NCKU). This is another thing that it’s been hard to find info on. How can I commute “downtown,” train, uber, bus? I understand if you don’t want to dox yourself.
There’s a lot less random shouting during the games. I’ve tried it, and people turn around and stare. Most cheering songs includes a section of just humming, so that’s one way to get in to cheering.
Every single 2020 Lions cheering song
The third baseman, Fu-Lin Kuo, was in the Yankees farm system. antoher infielder Yung-Chi Chen in the minor league teams with the Mariners, A’s and the Pirates. Outfielder Chao-Ting Tang was in the Tigers minor league system.
Chien-ming Wang is now a pitcher coach for the Taichung Chinatrust Brothers.
My family was from Tainan, but I don’t live there. I visit the city pretty often to see relatives.
Yeah, Tainan science park is outside the city center, which can be both good and bad. The good thing is the living environment is a bit more modern. The downside is it’s a trek to get to where all the action is.
There is a train station for Tainan science park. There are also shuttle buses. However, trains are few and far between.
I kind of suspected that. The company has weekend shuttles but 9 pm isn’t an ideal time to return home from a night out lol. I’m sure I’ll figure something out - I’m imagining that I will be taking alot of taxi’s, uber or not. Thank you so much for the info
If you plan to stay awhile, the best mode of travel might be getting a scooter license. For now, taxis are probably the way to go and they are not that expensive either. Especially if you compare it to what you would have to pay in New York.
Believe me when I tell you I’ve had my fair share of $60 drunk ubers home.
Yeah I’m thinking of at least getting my international drivers license. As far as returning from nights out, I need to prepare some Mandarin for the taxi rides
Woah cbpl puts helmet cams on the umps? Thats awesome. I wish I could understand the broadcast but Chinese is going to be rocky for me Do you watch baseball on online streams or on tv?
Taiwanese people know where its at!
Do you watch baseball on online streams or on tv?