President Ma Ying-jeou and Mrs. Ma hosted a luncheon on March 21 for the team that represented the ROC in the 2013 World Baseball Classic baseball tournament. In addition to praising the players for their outstanding performance, which attracted over 10 million fans here to watch the games on television, the president also expressed hope that the public will support baseball and spur the development of the sport in Taiwan.
After the players on the ROC team arrived at the Presidential Office Building, President and Mrs. Ma were accompanied by Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺), Minister of Education Chiang Wei-ling (蔣偉寧), and Sports Administration Director-General Ho Jow-Fei (何卓飛) to the Entrance Hall of the building, where they shook hands with the players and thanked them for winning distinction for the nation during the games.
In remarks at the luncheon, the president expressed gratitude to the players, pointing out that the team put in the best performance ever in the classic by any team from the ROC, finishing in the top 8, and that its showing attracted considerable public attention, with baseball fans glued to their televisions. The president specially thanked the team's manager Chang-Heng Hsieh (謝長亨) for leading the team in each game in a calm and humble manner. Baseball fans throughout Taiwan sensed the team's fighting spirit, he said, which provided an outstanding model for the promotion of baseball here.
The president stated that the public closely followed the team each time it took to the field, and over 10 million people watched the games on TV. This highlights baseball's status here as Taiwan's national pastime, he said. In addition, public support for the ROC team transcends political and ethnic affiliations, and cuts across all ages and genders, regardless where people may live, he commented. The president said that it was especially moving how the team brought the people of Taiwan together.
President Ma remarked that the ROC team wearing blue and white uniforms did not disappoint the public, which had high hopes for them. The performance of the team in each game helped to further enhance the status of baseball here, and the players became the topic of discussion among people throughout Taiwan, he said. The president singled out team captain Cheng-min Peng, (彭政閔) who called for donations to help defray the team's expenses, while also mentioning players Dai-Gang Yang (陽岱鋼), Chih-Kang Kao (高志綱), Wei-Lun Pan (潘威倫), Ching-Lung Lo (羅錦龍), Yung-Chi Chen (陳鏞基), and Ching-Ming Wang (王鏡銘) for donating their jerseys and other baseball gear to be auctioned off. This, he said, will help to nurture the development of baseball at the grassroots level and cultivate the next generation of baseball players here. The president noted these gestures showed that the ROC team as a whole was fit to do battle on the baseball diamond, and that the spirit of each team player touched the hearts of the public.
President Ma also acknowledged that the development of baseball in Taiwan has encountered a series of setbacks and frustrations. In order to nurture the development of the sport, he convened a conference to reinvigorate the sport of baseball on December 1, 2009, in order to raise the level of decision-making in the effort to promote the sport. The Ministry of Education, he said, in 2010 introduced the "Baseball Reinvigoration Plan", which has provided large amounts of funding to assist in promoting baseball clubs, players, and fan support.
The president stressed that to revitalize baseball here, order and discipline are needed during games, and fan support must continue unabated. He said that fans are the most important asset of baseball players, for while victory or defeat in a single game is just a passing moment, the attitude and spirit of players are forever. Noting the tremendous public support enjoyed by the team members, the president stated that their contribution to the sport has been unprecedented.
President Ma then mentioned that the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) will start its season on March 23, and expressed hope that public support for the team that built up during the World Baseball Classic will remain strong, adding that concern should be shown for everyone involved in baseball, including the fans. As long as everyone protects the purity of the sport, the future potential for baseball in Taiwan is unlimited, the president said.
After completing his remarks, the president then presented each team member with a commemorative watch signed by the president himself. Team captain Peng accepted the gifts on behalf of the rest of the team and also represented the team in presenting the president a baseball bat.
Among those attending the event were CPBL Commissioner Jenn-Tai Hwang (黃鎮台), Chinese Taipei Baseball Association President Chen Tai-Cheng (陳太正), Uni-President Pro Baseball Team Corp. Chairman Chang-Sheng Lin (林蒼生), Brother Elephants Baseball Team Chairman Hung Jui-ho (洪瑞河), La New Corporation Chairman Liu Bao-you (劉保佑) (owner of Lamigo Monkeys baseball team), E-Da Pro Baseball Corp. General Manager Yang Sen-lung (楊森隆), and Chinese Taipei baseball team manager Hsieh, who led the coaching staff, team players, and members of their families.