Dodgers Introduce Major Leagues’ First Taiwanese-born Player

By Sandra Marquez
The Associated Press

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who brought Major League Baseball its first Australian and Korean players, have now signed the big leagues’ first native of Taiwan.

Chin-Feng Chen, who walked and scored a run in his first game as a pinch-hitter against the Colorado Rockies on Sept. 14, was formally introduced Sept. 16 at Dodger Stadium.

The 24-year-old first baseman outfielder first played in America on Taiwan’s 1990 Little League World Series championship team.

“I’m very happy and honored to be standing here,” he said through an interpreter. “The first time I was here was as a little kid playing in the World Series in Williamsport (Pa.). I never thought about being in the major leagues. I will do the best I can to help the team win.”

His debut is the latest in a series of international firsts for the Dodgers, who signed Major League Baseball’s first Australian player, Craig Shipley, and the first Korean-born player, Chan Ho Park.

Chen had already become the first Taiwanese-born player to sign a contract with a major league team when he signed with the Dodgers in 1999. He hit .284 and led the Triple A Las Vegas 51s with 26 homers and 84 RBIs this season.

His parents, a representative of Taiwan’s government, and team executives attended the news conference, where congratulatory letters from Taiwan’s president and vice president were read.

Dodgers general manager Dan Evans said the importance of Chen’s accomplishment was apparent when he took the field against the Rockies in Colorado.

“What we are celebrating is something that occurs once in a lifetime. At Coors Field, when I saw No. 52 come up, I realized we were not only making baseball history, we were making international history,” Evans said.

California is home to about 150,000 people who were born in Taiwan, and Chen’s achievement provides them something to cheer about in an era in which Taiwan struggles for international recognition. Beijing insists that the self-ruled, democratic island is part of China.

“Anything that can make Taiwan’s name be said or heard is a joy and an excitement,” said Hilda Lai, secretary of the Taiwan Center in Rosemead, Calif. “We want to reinforce our contribution. We want to bring it to the whole world.”

Bo Lai, a spokesman for China’s consul general in Los Angeles, said Chen’s appointment is part of a tradition of sports exchanges “between people on either side of the Taiwan Straits” and their American counterparts.

“It’s a happy thing for the entire Chinese people,” Lai said. He added, “Taiwan is part of China. That is our basic position.”

Meanwhile, in a show of support, local Taiwanese community leaders pledged to have at least 100 Taiwanese Americans attend every Dodgers home game until the end of the season.

“It’s sort of like a tribute to him,” said Tsuann Kuo, president of the Taiwanese United Fund, which raises money for cultural exchange programs.

She said excitement first swelled among the U.S. born children of Taiwanese immigrants — and soon spread to their parents who recognize baseball has become a popular sport in their homeland.

“Our second generation are just crazy about this. They are the ones e-mailing everyone and making signs,” Kuo said. “But the Dodgers don’t allow signs, so they are doing it the American way, painting their bodies.”

The Dodgers were eliminated from playoff contention with one game left in the season.

This was the 13th shutout pitched against the Dodgers, who were undone by a 4-10 slide and a season-ending eight-game winning streak by San Francisco in the National League wild-card race.

Chen batted cleanup for the Dodgers in his first start and played left field. He was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.