Chinese Professional Baseball League

The Chinese Professional Baseball League is the top baseball league in Taiwan.

It was founded on October 23, 1989 by the owner of Brother Hotel, Inc. Inaugural members were the Wei Chuan Dragons, Mercuries Tigers, Brother Elephants and Uni-President Lions. In 2003, the CPBL merged with the Taiwan Major League, its weaker rival from 1997-2002. Starting in 2005, the league champions entered the Asia Series to face the top teams from the Korea Baseball Organization, Nippon Pro Baseball and China Baseball League.

Unlike the NPB, which every team has a minor league team, there are only five minor league squads: Team Blue, the President Lions Second Team, the Brother Elephants, the Chinatrust Whales, and the La New Bears Second Team. As of 2008, the DMedia T-Rex and the Sinon Bulls still did not establish their minor league teams, as all other players play with Team Blue due to a lack of funding or will by their respective parent organzations to create such a team.

The league has faced several gambling scandals in its lifetime, including six in a 7-year period from 2002-2008. The CPBL currenly has four teams and in 2021 the Wei Chuan Dragons will return to the league.

Current Teams

• CTBC Brothers
• Fubon Guardians
• Rakuten Monkeys
• Uni-President Lions

Former Teams

• Brother Elephants (1990-2013); became CTBC Brothers
• China Times Eagles (1993-1997)
• Chinatrust Whales (1993-2008)
• DMedia T-Rex (2008)
• EDA Rhinos (2013-2016); became Fubon Guardians
• First Financial Holdings Agan (2003); became La New Bears
• Jungo Bears (1993-1995); became Sinon Bears
• La New Bears (2003-2010); became Lamigo Monkeys
• Lamigo Monkeys (2011-2019); became Rakuten Monkeys
• Macoto Cobras (2004-2007); became DMedia T-Rex
• Macoto Gida (2003); became Macoto Cobras
• Mercuries Tigers (1990-1999)
• Sinon Bears (upper 1996); became Sinon Bulls
• Sinon Bulls (1997-2012); became EDA Rhinos
• Wei Chuan Dragons (1990-1999)

Related Sites

• Information on CPBL Farm System
• Further Information on CPBL's Team Blue