Baseball and Nation: Taiwan’s Premier 12 Triumph and National Identity
Team Taiwan won the Premier 12 championship
Taiwan’s Premier 12 championship victory highlights the nation’s resilience and passion for baseball despite unique political challenges and past scandals.
Baseball is the national sport in Taiwan. The Taiwanese baseball league, known as the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), consists of six teams. The league's level of play is debated to be between AA and AAA in Ｍinor League Baseball (MiLB). Today, the CPBL is the biggest sports league in Taiwan, attracting up to 30,000 spectators per game ( Focus Taiwan, 2024), but its prosperity has not come easily.
Taiwan’s connection between national identity and baseball traces back to its Little League champions. Victories by the Hong-Ye （紅葉）and Jing-Long （金龍）elementary school teams united Taiwanese hearts and fostered patriotism during a time when Taiwan was about to leave the United Nations and was gradually fading from international attention. Yet, as Taiwanese grew interest in baseball, the performance of professional teams reveal a stark gap between Taiwan and international powerhouses like the U.S. and Japan. In fact, Taiwan’s best result was a silver medal in the 1992 Olympic Games before this year’s Premier 12. Since then, Taiwan has often been eliminated in the early stages of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) and other international tournaments. These frustrations reflected the unfulfilled potential of the CPBL. Confidence was further shaken by on an off gambling scandals between 1996 and 2009, during which gangsters bribed or colluded with players and teams to fix games. These issues caused Taiwanese fans to lose faith in Team Taiwan’s competitiveness on the international stage.
In the past, Taiwan strongly relied on players from Major League Baseball (MLB), Minor League Baseball (MiLB), or Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) to bolster its roster. This Premier 12 victory is unique because it was achieved with players primarily from the CPBL—some of whom are not even among the league's top players. This triumph reflects the rising quality of the CPBL and Taiwan’s commitment to advancing sports infrastructure and analysis.
The team attributed its success to three key factors: a supportive logistics team, highly detailed information about opposing teams, and an experienced coaching staff. Under Tsai Chi-Chang （蔡其昌）, the CPBL has undergone significant transformation. As vice president of the Legislative Yuan, CPBL commissioner, and a passionate supporter of baseball, Tsai introduced policies to improve infrastructure, standardise contracts, and create an information analysis team for strategy development. His proactive approach earned him the nickname “Tsai the Switchboard Operator” among fans, as he addresses feedback swiftly and effectively ( Formosa News, 2024). Tsai also successfully boosts fan engagement, such as featuring cheerleaders to attract audiences. This increased revenue enabled teams to recruit higher-calibre players, particularly pitchers from abroad, raising the league's overall competitiveness. Tsai’s vision also included making Team Taiwan a regular entity, inspired by Japan’s consistent team structure. With a dedicated budget, Team Taiwan could establish a comprehensive system for data analysis and strategic planning. The experienced coaching staff, including legends like Chien-Ming Wang （王建民）, a former New York Yankees ace, and Peng, Chen-Ming (彭政閔), a former CTBC Brothers popular player who was consecutively selected into All-Star games 16 times, played crucial roles in shaping the team. This demonstrates that Taiwan’s championship was not a stroke of luck but the result of years of preparation and dedication.
Beyond the game itself, the issue of national identity looms large. Baseball has long been tied to Taiwan’s desire to assert itself on the international stage. Yet, due to its unique political situation, Taiwan competes under the name “Chinese Taipei,” a resolution imposed by the International Olympic Committee. This naming issue has sparked debates among
Chen, Chieh-Hsien celebrates a home run by drawing a frame in front of his jersey where “Taiwan” should have been written.
Taiwanese, with some referring to the team as “Team Chinese” and others as “Team Taiwan.” Throughout the tournament, players celebrated with a symbolic gesture pointing to the empty space on their jerseys where “Taiwan” should have been written, reigniting discussions about national identity. Regardless of these disputes, the championship united the nation. Whether fans cheered for “Team Chinese” or “Team Taiwan,” they celebrated the same team and its remarkable achievement. This triumph is a reminder of the power of sports to transcend politics and bring people together.
Taiwan’s Premier 12 triumph is not just a moment of glory; it is a stepping stone for the future of Taiwanese baseball. It highlights improvements in Taiwan’s baseball institutions and infrastructure, proving that Taiwanese players are competitive on the international stage. This success positions the CPBL as potentially one of the top three professional baseball leagues globally. The aspiring games also unite the national identity. Let this victory inspire a new generation of players, strengthen the CPBL, and remind the world of Taiwan’s resilience and talent, both on and off the field.