TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — CTBC marked its 60th anniversary with an exhibition chronicling a century of baseball development in Taiwan, honoring generations of players, coaches, and contributors to the sport.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) attended the opening event alongside CTBC Charity Foundation Chair Jeffrey Koo Jr. (辜仲諒). The pair recreated the iconic “scarecrow” batting stance for photographers, per UDN.
Among the guests was Kuriyama Hideki, manager of Japan’s championship-winning team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Speaking at a press conference, Kuriyama discussed Japan’s path from grassroots baseball development to international championships and offered suggestions for strengthening baseball in Taiwan.
Chiang thanked CTBC for organizing the exhibition and documenting the growth of Taiwanese baseball. He also paid tribute to Hsieh Kuo-cheng (謝國城), often referred to as the father of Taiwan baseball.
Hsieh studied at Japan's Waseda University and, upon returning, spent much of his life, along with his own money, developing local baseball. Chiang noted that a baseball stadium in Taipei’s Youth Park has been named after Hsieh and was the first Little League stadium in Taiwan to feature artificial turf.
The mayor also thanked CTBC Bank for its long-term support of baseball and the CTBC Brothers. He added that the group has continued to host the CTBC Black Panther Cup annually for high school baseball teams.
He said he was proud of the opening of the Taipei Dome. “When I became mayor, I vowed to complete the Taipei Dome within one year of taking office,” he said. “Although many people were initially skeptical, I thank the city government and engineering teams for overcoming various engineering and regulatory challenges.”
The Taipei Dome opened at the end of 2023 and hosted the Asian Baseball Championship. Chiang recalled inviting Sadaharu Oh to throw the ceremonial first pitch at the venue’s opening, per UDN.
“He looked around every corner of the Taipei Dome and said, ‘Fantastic!’” Chiang said, adding that Oh even considered the facility superior to the Fukuoka Dome and Tokyo Dome. Chiang said the opening of the Taipei Dome has allowed Taiwanese players to become more accustomed to indoor stadiums.
“We no longer need to envy foreign countries for having domed stadiums,” he said. “It gives our players more confidence on the international stage and allows them to continue shining for Taiwan, such as by winning the WBSC Premier12 championship.”
The exhibition runs through June 21 at the Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport in Taipei’s Nangang District. More information is available on the exhibition website.
