CPBL B-Side Volume #5
Every now and then, the team at CPBL STATS will bring you some of the overlooked moments from the CPBL season or what is happening in the Taiwanese baseball community. Just think of it as the lighter side of the CPBL.
Snaps the Bat Like a Twig
The Chinatrust Brothers’ 陳子豪 (Chen Tzu-Hao) shows off his raw power by snapping his bat in half during the intersquad situational hitting competition.
#CTBros 陳子豪 (Chen Tzu-Hao) snaps his bat in half during batting practice! ? #CPBL pic.twitter.com/GugFzwCcs2
— CPBL STATS (@GOCPBL) February 15, 2018
Birthday Facial Treatment
The Fubon Guardians’ 胡金龍 (Hu Chin-Lung) received the standard cake in the face plus the ice shower birthday treatment from his teammates.
Happy Birthday to #Fubon Guardians' 胡金龍 (Hu Chin-Lung) #CPBL pic.twitter.com/OIKZ12zXpm
— CPBL STATS (@GOCPBL) February 2, 2018
Kiss for Good Luck
This is from the Popcorn League, a semi-pro industrial winter league here in Taiwan. The Taiwan Cooperative Bank’s starting pitcher 吳昇峰 (Wu Sheng-Feng) snags a hard hit grounder, gives it a kiss and throw to first for the out.
Good luck kiss! Smooth defensive play from Taiwan Cooperative Bank starting pitcher 吳昇峰 (Wu Sheng-Feng) at Taiwan's semi-pro Popcorn League last night. pic.twitter.com/ZU3WDyEoRj
— CPBL STATS (@GOCPBL) January 26, 2018
Playing Catch with MLB Pitcher
Ah, just your typical father and son spending quality time together playing catch. But when your kid is a major league calibre pitcher, sometime it is safer to wear the full protective gears before playing catch with him.
This is the Chicago Cubs’ Taiwanese RHP 曾仁和 (Tseng Jen-Ho) throwing a few pitches to his dad during the off-season. The video is shot by Tseng’s sister 曾琪 (Tseng Chi) who is also a professional baseball player in the Japan Women’s Baseball League (JWBL).
キャッチャーは私のお父さんです
⚾️⚾️⚾️???危ない～??#野球 #曾仁和#Jenhotseng pic.twitter.com/bc8P6Lk1jy— ヂェンチー曾琪 (@tsengchi14) January 17, 2018
The Literal “Sliding Catch”
The Lamigo Monkeys’ 劉時豪 (Liu Shih-Hao) makes a literal “sliding catch” during the exhibition series between the Lamigo Monkeys and the Nippon-Ham Fighters.
It is also worth noting that Fighters’ Shota Hiranuma can be seen running for his life in the dugout, when the ball is nowhere near the dugout.
#Lamigo Monkeys' 劉時豪 (Liu Shih-Hao) makes a literal "sliding catch" in the foul territory. #CPBL pic.twitter.com/WlLl20bZYw
— CPBL STATS (@GOCPBL) February 28, 2018
Massive Bat Flip from High School Tournament
Here in Asia, bat flips are not that big of a deal. So you will see players from the professional level all the way down to student baseball flip off their bats like it is going out of style. (Here is the compilation of some of the best Taiwanese bat flips from 2017)
In the semi-final game of a Taiwanese high school baseball tournament between the 普門高中 (Pu-Men) and 美和高中 (Meiho), Pu-Men’s clean up hitter 邱丹 (Chiu Tan) launches a massive bat flip on a foul ball.
After his 80-grade bat flip, Chiu has to do the shame of walk and pick up the bat from the ground. (Full video here)
Credit to our friend Josh at CPBL English for letting us know about this.
Massive bat flip alert (on a foul ball!) in a Taiwanese high school match between Pu men vs. Mei He HS. Watch it fly across the screen. (H/T to @inglis_josh4 for passing this along) pic.twitter.com/tn6uPWBE3e
— Sung Min Kim (@sung_minkim) March 5, 2018
