Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

Jim Small, the Vice President and Managing Director of Major League Baseball (MLB) in Asia, visited Taipei City Hall and met with Mayor Hau Lung-bin on January 15.
Hau pointed out that Taiwanese baseball fans hope to see MLB warm-up matches take place in Taipei, especially ones involving Los Angeles Dodgers – the team of Taiwanese players Kuo Hong-chih and Hu Chin-lung.
Regarding game-fixing allegations involving local professional baseball league players, Hau said the incidents have hurt the reputation of the sport and estranged fans. Being a fan himself, he hopes that something could be done to help Taiwan’s baseball; organizing a MLB game in Taipei will help bring baseball fans back to the stadium, noted Hau.
Small recalled that his previous visit to Taiwan was in 1993. He is very excited to see another MLB game take place on this island. MLB understands the challenges Taiwan’s professional baseball is facing and hopes that the upcoming match will boost the morals of fans and advocates. In the future, the MLB will strengthen exchange with the local professional baseball league in areas including games and refereeing.
The representative of MLB pointed out that the Tienmou Baseball Stadium is a beautiful facility that meets international standards. He noticed that the view from the field is similar to those at Dodgers’ ballpark.
Small announced that the Dodgers will arrive in Taiwan on March 11. He took the opportunity to invite the mayor to the game. MLB expects ticket prices for the match to be between NT$500 and NT$2,000. Hau hopes that ticket prices remain low and affordable, allowing younger fans to attend the game.