Republic of China

The Republic of China (also called Taiwan) is a country located on an island between the East China Sea and the South China Sea in East Asia, separated from mainland China by the Strait of Formosa, which is less than 150 miles wide. The island is named Taiwan, and is sometimes called by by the name "Formosa", given by Portuguese explorers. Because Taiwan's independence is not formally recognized by a majority of countries, due to Chinese opposition, the country is represented in international competitions under the name of Chinese Taipei, and uses a different flag. The capital is Taipei and the country's second largest city is its main port, Kaohsiung.

Baseball is very popular in Taiwan and the country has its own professional league, the Chinese Professional Baseball League. It has been successful in the Little League World Series, trailing only the United States in the number of titles won. A number of players from Taiwan have played in Major League Baseball, starting with Chin-Feng Chen in 2002.

Olympic Medals

• 1992 Silver

Further Reading

• Casey Drottar: "How cheerleading became the ‘charging cord’ of baseball in Taiwan", mlb.com, February 22, 2024. [1]
• John J. Harvey: Empire of Infields: Baseball in Taiwan and Cultural Identity, 1895-1968, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE, 2019. ISBN 978-0-8032-8682-5
• Junwei Yu: Playing in Isolation: A History of Baseball in Taiwan, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE, 2007.