TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A bronze statue of Taiwan baseball legend Hsu Sheng-ming (徐生明) was unveiled on Monday (July 22) in his hometown Meinong District in Kaohsiung.
In addition to being a talented pitcher, he was a coach for numerous professional teams and the founder of Meinong’s decade-old little league training program until his passing at 54 in 2013.
He is remembered by many former players who learned under his strict supervision and by his commitment to hard work, which was consistent with his Hakka upbringing. The sculpture of Hsu throwing his famous “butterfly ball” was placed outside his former residence on Yongan Old Street, per CNA.
Attending the inauguration ceremony for the bronze statue were members of the Meinong Elementary School baseball team and Hsu’s widow, Hsieh Rong-yao (謝榮瑤), who was emotional during her address to the crowd. She hoped the statue could inspire more local youth to excel in baseball.
DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) said the statue evoked memories for generations of people, with Hsu’s legend continuing to inspire young children and players at each level of baseball, from elementary to vocational school and even the professional league.
Hsieh Ho-lin (謝鶴琳), director of the Meinong District Office, said the statue took about two years to complete and was intended to inspire and cultivate a new generation of baseball players at the grassroots level.
Ke Jin-ming (柯進明), coach of the Meinong Elementary School Little League team, said the training program launched by Hsu has helped keep local children away from the dangers of drugs and illegal activities, providing them with a structured environment where they can practice and thrive.
Judging by the results in domestic and foreign competitions, the program has cultivated many outstanding baseball players.
Hsu was born in Kaohsiung’s Meinong District in 1958 and started playing baseball at the age of 10, becoming a member of the first generation of the Tainan Giant baseball team that won the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
He later became an indispensable contributor to the Taiwanese baseball teams in his youth as a pitcher, and he took up coaching at 32.
Hsu coached many vocational squads and six professional teams, including top-tier teams such as the WeiChuan Dragons, Chinatrust Whales, and EDA Rhinos.
