Taiwan To Achieve Goal That Eludes U.S.: Open Baseball Season This Month

Early April normally marks the start of the professional baseball season in the U.S. and new hopes for World Series glory.   The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has put this year’s opening day on hold, with no end in sight.  Sports industry leaders from Major League Baseball, the NBA, NFL and others discussed the outlook with President Donald Trump on Saturday. “I want fans back in the arenas,” Trump said afterward.

Taiwan will soon achieve a 2020 sports goal that’s eluded the U.S.: it will start the local professional baseball season next Saturday. The Chinese Professional Baseball League said on April 1 the opening will come with one big restriction: spectators won’t be on hand. Fewer than 200 people will be permitted in the stadium, including teams and media, to guard against COVID-19 spread, the Taipei Times reported on Saturday.  Games will be broadcast, however, benefiting teams, fans and advertisers.

Taiwan can take that step because of its enviable record in controlling COVID-19 so far. It has reported 363 cases and five deaths to date out of a population of about 23 million. Though located only about 100 miles from mainland China, an early COVID-19 epicenter, Taiwan has kept transmission low through travel restrictions (see related story here), tracking and other measures. America singer Barbara Streisand lauded its success on Twitter this weekend.

The Chinese Professional Baseball League was formed back in 1989 amid Taiwan success in global little league competition. Taiwan players to make the major league in the U.S. over the years include Chien-Ming Wang and Tzu-Wei Lin.

The Rakuten Monkeys will take on the Brothers in opening day competition this Saturday.

@rflannerychina