I went to see the Taiwan All-Star game yesterday with my son who is visiting Taiwan from Shen-Zhen. He is a big Yankee fan and had been asking about going to a game in Taiwan since there are no professional baseball teams in all of China and little interest among the sports-minded.

The first night my son was in Taichung, I made a nice dinner for us and we chatted. We even watched part of "Kano" until I saw he was yawning and suggested he go back to his hostel room on the other side of Taichung. The next morning he was due back for breakfast at 9 am to watch the American Major League Baseball All-Star Game which was broadcast on TV here. Meanwhile, Leona helped get tickets for the Taiwan All-Star game on July 25.

At my Forth of July barbecue, one of my guests expressed interest in seeing a baseball game with me while my son was here in Taichung. He checked the schedule and saw the last game in Taichung in July was the eleventh. He didn't tell me about the upcoming CPBL All Star game to be played in Taichung.

A few days later, at a Family Mart store, I noticed a sign advertising the All-Star game. I texted my guest, Wayne, and asked him if he wanted to go. He said 'yes.' I asked him a few times to confirm the date and he told me to buy a ticket for him which I did.

A few days later, Wayne texted me that he had forgotten a wedding party he had to go to; he couldn't go to the baseball game that he had asked me to buy a ticket for him. He offered to try to sell the ticket but I asked him to wait; I would see if I could get someone else to go with me and Ariel. I thought of my American friend, Robert.

Since it was Robert's birthday, and he loves the Boston Red Sox, I contacted him to buy the ticket. He hadn't gotten back to me yet and it was the last day to sell back the ticket. My wife asked her brother if he wanted to go to the game. She didn’t want to go to the game. It would be complicated to get a refund so I got back to Wayne and told him to sell the ticket himself.

Through a Facebook event posting I learned Robert had decided to host an event Saturday evening and wouldn’t be joining Ariel and me at the Taiwan All-Star game. He though it his event would be more fun than hanging out and seeing a live baseball game with my son. Robert would miss the fun of going to the game with me and the enlightened discussion the die-hard Red Sox fan would have had with Ariel, a life-long Yankee fan. In this contest, the Yankees definitely won. In this ex-pat world of denial and ignorance, Robert wouldn’t care and could never be told what opportunity he had missed. Wayne would miss it, too, and would be out 600 NT if he didn’t sell the ticket I bought for him.

Robert responded with the obvious that he wouldn’t use the third ticket I had for the Taiwan All-Star game Saturday evening; after his post about hosting an event, I knew. Wayne hadn’t sold his ticket yet. I would be happy if Leona went but she was still not interested. If Ariel lived in Taiwan, it would be better for him and me. I would have someone to play with when Leona, Robert, Wayne or whoever.

Yesterday was the All Star game at 5:05pm. Wayne just sent a Line message to Leona that he couldn’t sell the ticket that he backed out of using; he had confused the dates with the wedding he was attending Leona has no intention of reversing her stand and joining us at the ball game. I will try to sell the ticket outside the ball park
Robert, Wayne, and Leona foolishly passed on going to the All-Star game yesterday. Wayne will be out 600 NT for forgetting he had a wedding to attend. Leona should have gone to the game as my wife, Ariel’s step-mother, as a baseball fan, and to let Wayne off the hook. Robert blew the chance to become a closer friend and, as a result, made himself more distant. When Ariel leaves Taiwan I will again have no one (other than Leona) to do anything with. Ariel and I had a great time at the game.

MLB legends light up CPBL All-Star weekend event By Jason Pan / Staff reporter

US Major League Baseball legends Jason Giambi and Ivan Rodgriuez were the special invited guests for the ceremonial first pitch at yesterday’s opening of Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) All-Star Weekend festivities at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium.

The two retired superstars and former teammates of Taiwanese pitcher Wang Chien-ming in the US were greeted with applause and enthusiastic cheering from the more than 12,000 spectators in the ballpark.

Giambi and Rodriguez, who is also known as “I-Rod” or “Pudge,” were joined at the ceremony by Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung, CPBL commissioner John Wu, World Baseball and Softball Confederation president Riccardo Fraccari and Johnson Fitness chairman Lo Kun-chuan.

Befitting his reputation as a power hitter, Giambi was the batter at the plate for the ceremonial first pitch, while, in another setup, Rodriguez replayed his familiar role as a star catcher to receive the pitch tossed by Lin.

Giambi and Rodriguez were all smiles in front of the near-capacity crowd, saying afterward that they were moved by the fantastic atmosphere generated by Taiwanese baseball fans at the event.

The two former American League MVP’s and MLB All-Star players are lending their luster to Taiwan’s own version of the “Midsummer Classic,” as the MLB All-Star Game is also known, and both are to participate in this weekend’s main event — the Home Run Derby, which is to take place today from 5pm at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium.

In the warm-up event yesterday afternoon, Team Speed defeated Team Power in the base-running competition.

In the CPBL All-Star Game, Chinatrust Brother pitchers Cheng Kai-wen and Chen Hung-wen started on the mound for Team Speed and Team Power respectively.

Lamigo Monkeys slugger Lin Chih-sheng blasted a solo home run in the second inning to equalize the game at 1-all, before Team Power scored again in the seventh to take a 2-1 victory.