As the second half of the 2024 Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) season progresses, here is a look at the top news and notes from the last week in Taiwan’s highest level of professional baseball.
Fubon Guardians Suspend RHP Tseng Chun-Yueh
Two players from the Wei Chuan Dragons, Kuo Tian-Shin and Chang Cheng-Yu were suspended Tuesday after photos on the internet revealed them playing poker. Additionally, the Fubon Guardians suspended relief pitcher Tseng Chun-Yueh on Tuesday after pictures of him at a licensed poker location made their way onto the internet.
Luckily for all three players, including Tseng, the businesses where they decided to play poker were legal. However, the CPBL has strict rules on gambling, so the Guardians chose to suspend and fine Tseng. “Given the CPBL’s past history, players should never set foot in those places,” said CPBL Stats on X. “Tseng is a dumb kid.”
Before his suspension, Tseng recorded two saves and 17 holds in 33 games in 2024. His 1.05 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 34.1 innings are impressive for a 22-year-old. Let’s hope he learned his lesson to avoid the poker table.
Uni-Lion’s Pan Wei-Lun to Retire at End of Season
Twenty-two-year CPBL veteran pitcher Pan Wei-Lun will retire at the end of the 2024 season, reported CPBL International Affairs Chief Richard Wang on X.
According to Wang, Pan will make the final start of his CPBL career for the Uni-Lions on Wednesday, September 28 at the Taipei Dome. Pan, 42, made his CPBL debut with the Lions at 23 in 2003. In 2024, Pan is 1-4 with a 6.64 ERA in 20.1 innings.
Pan is a five-time Taiwan Series champion, the 2003 CPBL Rookie of the Year, and represented Taiwan in numerous international tournaments, including the 2006 Intercontinental Cup, the 2006 and 2010 Asian Games, and the 2003 and 2009 Asian Baseball Championship. Most notably, the 2006, 2013, and 2017 editions of the World Baseball Classic.
Hawk’s 1B Steven Moya First to 20 Home Runs
Former Detroit Tiger Steven Moya is off to a blistering start in his CPBL career. He became the first player to blast 20 dingers this season. Moya hit his 20th of the season, a three-run shot, against the Wei Chuan Dragons last Wednesday.
After trailing 8-0 in the bottom of the fourth, Moya’s home run helped the Hawks get back into the game. However, the deficit was too much to overcome, and the Hawks fell just short of a comeback, losing 9-8.
Moya hit his league-leading 21st home run of the season on Tuesday in a 7-6 win against the Rakuten Monkeys. Lin An-Ko, a right fielder for the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions, ranks second in the CPBL with 17 home runs, and Wei Chuan Dragons catcher Kungkuan Giljegiljaw sits in third with 15.
This Day in Taiwanese Baseball History
On August 7, 2019, Fubon Guardians starting pitcher Mike Loree struck out 13 Uni-Lions hitters in six innings en route to a 10-5 win.
First baseman Lin Yi-chuan went 1-for-5 with a grand slam and five RBI for the Guardians. In 2009, Lin became the first player in CPBL history to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.
Loree played 11 seasons from 2012-23 with the Lamigo Monkeys and EDA Rhinos/Fubon Guardians. With his performance on August 7, 2019, he improved to 9-6 and lowered his ERA to 2.96.
CPBL Standings as of Wednesday, August 7
You can watch every Chinese Professional Baseball League game on DAZN.
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WBN CPBL: https://worldbaseball.com/?s=CPBL
Photo Credit: Team CTBC Brothers celebrate after winning the CPBL game between CTBC Brothers and Wei Chuan Dragons at Taipei Dome on June 01, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)
