Canada v. Taiwan
Here are yesterday's box scores. Today is an off day.
I was at the Canada - Taiwan game last night in Taichung.
It was one of the best live baseball games I've ever seen.
Of course, it was all the sweeter because Canada won.
It was packed tight. And it was loud. Real loud.
Our seats were in the upper deck right behind home plate. Great view of the field.
Here's a quick run down.
Top 1 - Canada bats. We go down in order.
Bottom 1 - With men on first and third, our shortstop throws away a sure DP. TW scores 2 unearned runs. 2-0 TW.
Top 2 - 2 bunt singles, a sacrifice and a couple hits tie it up. 2-2.
Scoreless through the 3rd and 4th. Both pitchers settle in a bit. We go for a beer run and a smoke.
Top 5 - A hard slide into second breaks up a Taiwan DP and Stubby Clapp scores. 3-2 Canada.
Top 6 - Nicolas Weglarz launches a laser beam over the right field fence. 4-2 Canada.
It gets almost quiet in the place, but not really. We celebrate wildly.
Bottom 6 - The real drama starts. The wave circles the park a couple of times. Canada quickly gets 2 out. Shortstop Lin Chi Sheng singles off our 3rd baseman's glove. Chang Chi Hsien lines one off our shortstop's glove. 1st and 2nd. Luo Kuo-hui drives a 3-1 pitch over the right centre field wall. Shit. The stadium erupts. 5-4 Taiwan.
I actually had my camera rolling for that homer and caught some of the initial madness on digital. I stopped filming pretty quickly. Don't know why. I think I was in shock. Or annoyed. Definitely drunk by this time. It happened so fast.
Here's 8 seconds of it...
I snap out of it for minute and take these 12 seconds of a happy Taiwanese crowd...
Top 8 - Still 5-4 Taiwan. Taiwan starter Ni gets lifted with 2 out in the 8th. Reliever gives up a single to Jimmy Van Ostrand. Walks Weglarz. Up comes Emerson Frostad to pinch hit. We're on our feet. Frostad lines a hard liner into shallow right. For some reason the Canadian third base coach sends Van Ostrand. The throw from right field beat the runner easily and he bowls over the catcher with an excellent hit, trying to dislodge the ball. Third Out. Shit. Crowd goes crazy. The catcher, Yeh, I think, then spikes the ball at the feet of Van Ostrand as he walks back to the dugout. Van Ostrand takes issue with this. There are words. The Taiwanese manager emerges pointing a finger at someone. Benches clear. There's pushing and shoving. Some assholes in the crowd start throwing bottles on the field. The bottles are being thrown deliberately at the Canadian players and bench. There seems to be the impression throughout the crowd that the hit on the catcher was out of line. I don't think it was. (And I've just now watched the replay on TV. It wasn't.) "THAT'S BASEBALL!" we shout. My throat is killing me. I curse a blue streak in the general direction of the bottle throwers. "THAT'S FUCKING BULLSHIT!!!" god we're worked up. Police are deployed throughout the stadium and the game is delayed at least 20 minutes.
I'd like to send out a big Ni Howdy Fuck You to those assholes who threw shit on the field last night. You're a disgrace to your country and the game of baseball.
Interestingly, the replay on TV tonight didn't show any of the melee and none of the bottles being thrown on the field.
Top 9 - With 2 out and nobody on Stubby Clapp gets an infield hit on a close play at first. There's hope. Wild pitch. Oh baby. Stubby's on second. Mike Saunders singles to right. Stubby rounds third and slides. Safe! Ohhh BABY! Yeah! We freak out. My throat is on fire. 5-5. Stubby does some acrobatic flips on the way to the dugout. He's mobbed by his teammates. The crowd is stunned and gets quiet for a few minutes before the side is retired.
Nothing across for the Taiwanese in the last half of the 9th.
Top 10 - We get a lead off single followed by a double to the gap in right centre. We score. 6-5 Canada. We get a third hit and actually have 1st and 3rd with nobody out but can't push any more across.
Bottom 10 - Taiwan gets 2 hits and 2 men on before grounding into a game ending double play. We go nuts. We can't believe it. I am so happy I hug Dwayne and rub his belly. We stagger out. Dwayne is wearing a Canadian flag as a cape.
We talk to a lot of Taiwanese after the game. A lot of them want to take Dwayne's picture. They shake our hands and say congrats, good game. Excellent sportsmanship shown. All of them apologize for the behavior of the bottle hoodlums and want us to know that is not representative of the majority of Taiwanese.
Fantastic.
Canada v. Korea Thursday night in Taichung.
See you there.
3 comments:
Two questions:
First: I watched the video before coming to the site... was intrigued by the fact western media says the ball was thrown at Van Ostrand and the video showed nothing. Any idea exactly what happened?
Second: The Taiwanese manager in the 10th inning comes out to complain about an illegal substitution.. was what happened ever explained? I can't find anything.
Would have loved to have been there.. (actually live in Korea and follow the league here religiously.. would have loved to watch the Canada/Korea game.. despite the fact Korea will likely thump us (Canada)).
Just got back from the Canada - Korea matchup. Canada 4, Korea 3. We be Beijing bound.
You'd need to see a complete replay of the bottom of the 8th but the ball was indeed thrown in Van Ostrand's direction. Taiwan TV won't show the replay though they've been replaying the game every day this week.
About the Taiwanese manager's complaints. All I can tell is that there was a sub. Something to do with the catcher and the DH. The Taiwanese missed it somehow. I feel like he was trying to ice our pitcher...
With all of this reporting you make me want to return to Taiwan. It sounds so exciting. You could land a job it sounds so exciting. Well written. I find the part about the tummy rubbing exciting as well.
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