A game of historic proportions:
Oh boy. Be careful out there. Taiwanese baseball fans are not to be messed with today.
Why? They should be used to LOSING in international play.
China? China?!
You got that right. Ma Ying-jeou had better not smile too much if he congratulates China on its win – not unless he wants to drop double-digits in the polls…
that’s two games in a row they’ve choked.
very sporting of them to give both their neighbouring countries the chance to shine on the world stage.
Yes, but we won the last one to stop the trifecta. Oh, ah, you’re talking about baseball, okay, … carry on.
Taipei Times
China stun Taiwan with 8-7 win in extra innings
STAFF WRITER, WITH AGENCIES, BEIJING
Saturday, Aug 16, 2008, Page 1
Members of Taiwan’s Olympic baseball team react after their defeat by China yesterday.
PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
China, playing in their first Olympic baseball competition, upstaged Taiwan 8-7 yesterday in a game that went into extra innings and stopped work in Taipei as incredulous fans watched events unfold on television.
After the game, Taiwanese coach Hung Yi-chung (洪一中) attended the press conference alone, saying that the coaching team would take full responsibility.
“Loss is loss,” Hung said, adding that most players had performed well, but that the relief pitcher had been too cautious.
With the overtime in the game against Japan, Hung had been worried that the team wouldn’t get enough rest before the game against China. He asked to have the match against China postponed, but the request was rejected.
One of the players, Shih Chih-wei (石志偉), said the team had not had enough rest after Thursday night’s game, but that it was not an excuse for the defeat.
As for the new system of installing runners on the first and second bases in the 11th inning, Hung said that teams were unaccustomed to it and it is somewhat unfair to the teams that bat first.
An upset member of Taiwan’s cheer squad cries yesterday in Beijing after Taiwan’s baseball team lost to China.
PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
“It’s just like in history,” said Mao Ai-fen, a government employee in Keelung. “Last night we lost to [former colonial power] Japan and today we lost to the communist bandits.”
A man surnamed Huang, 50, said as he watched the action on television in Taipei: “They should all go jump in the sea. This is the end for the Taiwan team.”
In Beijing, fans from both sides waved plastic batons and cheered their teams from different pockets of the crowd. They behaved respectfully, even cheering for one another when catchable foul balls went into the stands.
The coach of China’s team, Jim Lefebvre, also attended the press conference with three Chinese players, saying it was a significant victory for Chinese baseball.
Separately, former Taiwanese coach Lin Hua-wei (林華韋) said he had once predicted China would eventually beat Taiwan in baseball, “but I didn’t really expect it to happen right here, right now.”
END
They played late against Japan the night before, but I think they lost in the 9th inning not in overtime. Anyway, how tired can baseball players be after a game? It’s not like they are playing rugby. Baseball is a lot of standing around and the occasional sprint if you ask me.
I didn’t know about the new rule “installing runners on first and second base in the 11th inning”. Thought I missed some hits during the commercial break when seeing the bases loaded all of a sudden. Now, that explains that they scored a bunch of runs, but giving up 5 runs is still unforgivable.
The Darkest Day in the History of Taiwanese Baseball, indeed a very apt title for Taiwan’s baseball loss to China. That’s gotta hurt.
I wouldn’t call the loss to Japan choking though, as no one really expected Taiwan to beat them anyway. They had a chance to win it, sure, but I wasn’t surprised at the outcome.
I just heard about this new rule yesterday. What a joke. Seems like a little league solution to getting a quick outcome to the game. :raspberry:
Let 'em play!
I just heard about this new rule yesterday. What a joke. Seems like a little league solution to getting a quick outcome to the game. :raspberry:
Let 'em play![/quote]
lol. why not just make a home run shootout. is there a mercy rule too?
Next up: Cuba
Possible outcomes:
Taiwan is tired and has lost all confidence. Easy win by Cuba.
Taiwan is determined to get that sour taste out of their collective butts. Surprise win by Taiwan.
It goes like the last two games. Taiwan has some chances, squanders them generously and they run out of steam at the end. Cuba edges Taiwan by 1 to 5 runs scored in the ninth.
The game starts 11:30
If you want to watch it in front of your computer, you can go to http://hichannel.hinet.net/2008olympic/
There is a mercy rule. If you’re up by 10 runs, the game is called. Canada beat China that way in it’s first game.
Taiwan-Cuba
3 innings in, so far so good. The Taiwanese pitcher looks really young, but he’s holding his ground against the Cubans.
6th inning: Still 0-0, the Taiwanese get a man on third for the second time in the game, but can’t bring him home. Very frustrating. Squandering chances again…
7th inning: Solo homer by the Cubans. Nobody doubted they would score sooner or later. The Taiwanese really suck at hitting. Their impotency really makes it hard to watch and cheer for them.
End result: Cuba wins 1-0
They did hang in there till the end, but they just don’t have what it takes to win.