Major Coaching Team Shakeup: CTBC Brothers

Ideally speaking, a manager that has a perfect 8-0 record in the Taiwan Series and won back-to-back championships should have solid job security, right? Well, this is not true for the CTBC Brothers manager 林威助 (Lin Wei-Chu).

On May 10, about two hours before the CTBC Brothers game, baseball columnist Wang Yi-Hsuan posted a cryptic tweet, “I think something big is about to happen.” on Twitter.

A few hours later, while the Brothers-Guardians game was still going, another baseball journalist Vicent Liao dropped the exclusive that a major management shakeup was underway at the CTBC Brothers.

Lin Wei-Chu Stepped Down as Manager

Shortly after the game, the CTBC Brothers announced the news that Lin Wei-Chu has stepped down as the first team manager and has been assigned to the role of “overseas development consultant” within the Brothers organisation.

The team stated that the overseas development consultant would be responsible for promoting professional baseball leagues in Asia and developing plans for the expansion of the Brothers’ brand into the Japanese, Korean, and Chinese markets.

Lin Wei-Chu finished his two years and five months tenure as the Brothers’ manager with 144 wins, 111 losses and 10 draws. During that time, he won two Taiwan Series championships.

Note: In the CPBL, the “consultant” role is generally where the team dump their unwanted manager until their contract expires.

Brothers New Manager: Peng Cheng-Min

The CPBL legend, the Brothers’ farm director 彭政閔 (Peng Cheng-Min), will take over as the first team manager on Friday. The Brothers’ farm team pitching coach Wang Chien-Ming has been promoted to the first team as the pitching coach.

According to the CTBC Brothers, Peng Cheng-Min, who played 19 seasons for the Brothers, has been responsible for player development since his retirement in 2019. He is familiar with the team’s culture and atmosphere and has the ability to plan for the organisation’s short and long-term goals. His leadership and management skills make him a suitable candidate for the position of first-team manager.

Reasoning Behind This Management Shakeup

So, is this midseason management shakeup have anything to do with the Brothers’ poor performance in the 2023 season? Some internet rumours hinted that Lin Wei-Chu might have had a disagreement with the team owner, which ultimately cost him his job as the Brothers’ manager.

“Stepped on owner’s land mine.” A phrase used by ETtoday in one of their articles.

When asked by the media, the Brothers’ general manager emphasised that the management shakeup is not directly related to the team’s performance. The decision is based on the long-term planning and personnel adjustments of the team.

“Regarding the rumours about the disagreements between Lin Wei-Chu and the team owner, I don’t think it is necessary to respond to those,” said the Brothers’ general manager.

Complete List of Coaching Role Changes

Here’s the complete list of all the coaching role changes within the Brothers organisation:

  • 彭政閔 (Peng Cheng-Min) – From farm director to first team manager.
  • 王建民 (Wang Chien-Ming) – From farm team pitching coach to first team pitching coach.
  • 林明憲 (Lin Ming-Hsien) – From farm team manager to first team coordinator.
  • 王竣杰 (Wang Chun-Chieh) – From farm team battery coach to first team battery coach.
  • 林威助 (Lin Wei-Chu) – From first team manager to overseas development consultant.
  • 平野惠一 (Hirano Keiichi) – From first team hitting and infield coordinator to farm director (position players).
  • John Foster – From first team pitching coach to farm director (pitchers).
  • 陳智弘 (Chen Chih-Hung) from first team battery coach to farm team manager.

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