Hello everyone! I’m @olivertomolife, back from studying abroad in Kaohsiung!
Did you know that there is a baseball team in Taiwan?
I went to see a game of the famous Rakuten Monkeys!
The ballpark is conveniently located, so I recommend it.
I’ll tell you what the ballpark actually looks like!
- Interested in the Taiwanese baseball team
- Love the Rakuten Monkeys
- Have plans to watch baseball at Taoyuan International Stadium
- Who are the main baseball teams in Taiwan?
- What is Taoyuan International Stadium?
- What is Global Mall Kankyo Taoyuan A19?
- A look at the stadium
- What is the difference between Taiwanese baseball fans and Japanese baseball fans?
I experienced a working holiday in Kaohsiung for a year from February 2020. Now I am writing a blog based on that experience.
By reading this post, you’ll get to know about baseball in Taiwan!
What are the main Taiwanese baseball teams?
There are five baseball teams in Taiwan today.
Let me introduce each of them to you!
1 CTBC Brothers
The CTBC Brothers are based in Taichung City and were founded in 1984.
The team has a long history since the establishment of the Taiwan Baseball Federation.
The team has won the Triple Crown twice in a row, the first time in history.
The sponsor is China Trust Bank, which is well-known for its 7-Eleven ATMs.
2 Uni-President Lions
The Uni-President Lions, founded in 1989, is a baseball team based in Tainan City.
The team’s parent company is the Unification Enterprise Group, a major distribution company in Taiwan, with ties to 7-Eleven.
It is currently the only baseball team in the southern part of the country, and in 2020 it won the Taiwan Series for the first time in seven years.
3 Fubon Guardians
The Fubon Guardians are based in New Taipei City, Taiwan, and are also famous for being the team that American major leaguer Manny Ramirez played for in 2013.
The team has won the annual championship three times in the past, and was bought out by the Fubon Group in 2016 and renamed.
4 Rakuten Monkeys
The team is based in Taoyuan City and has been sponsored by the Japanese IT company Rakuten since 2020.
Chen Jin Feng, the first Taiwanese major leaguer, used to be a member of this team.
The team used to be based in Kaohsiung City, but moved to Taoyuan City in 2011.
In 2020, the team achieved a record of 1,000 wins in total.
5 Wei Chuan Dragons
Based in Hsinchu City, this team won three consecutive championships in the 1990s, but was once disbanded due to the revelation of 800 games.
They applied to rejoin in 2019 and were officially allowed to participate after 20 years.
Full participation is expected to begin in the 2021 season.
What is the Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium?
It is the only international standard ballpark in the northern part of Taiwan and is conveniently located.
It was completed in 2009 and has been used as an official stadium since 2011.
There’s also a baseball museum and a cafeteria inside the stadium!
- Access：A short walk from Taoyuan Stadium
- Address：No. 350, Sec. 2, High Steel South Road, Zhongli District, Taoyuan City, 32050 Taiwan
- Opening hours: Depends on the baseball game
What is Global Mall Taoyuan A19?
This shopping mall is a complex of high-rise residential buildings and properties where you can watch baseball games are built.
It’s directly connected to the train station, there are stalls in the courtyard, and you can even watch the baseball game on the big screen!
They often collaborate with the Rakuten Monkeys, so I think you’ll enjoy it.
- Access: A short walk from the Taoyuan International Convention and Exhibition Center
- Address: No. 352, Section 2, Gaotie South Road, Zhongli District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan 320
- Opening hours: 11:30am – 8:30pm daily
The stadium
I was planning to watch the game on the optimistic side, but I bought an outfield ticket by mistake.
The stadium is spacious and the screen is large, so you can watch the game from a distance without any problems.
At halftime, there was a performance by the cheerleaders, and it was very exciting!
I was able to enjoy a different atmosphere from baseball stadiums in Japan.
By the way, the outfield seats at the Taoyuan International Stadium are not accessible to the infield seats, so it is not convenient.
Please be careful when buying tickets.
The game was won by the Unified Lions, but I was satisfied because I got to see both teams play!
What is the difference between Taiwanese baseball fans and Japanese baseball fans?
I think it’s interesting that Taiwanese baseball fans are free, because many of them wear uniforms of Japanese baseball teams or Major League Baseball teams at the stadium.
I was surprised at first because it’s not a common sight in Japan.
Many people were also very enthusiastic in their cheering, and even in the back seats, they were cheering loudly.
In Japan, there is a cheering squad affiliated with the baseball team, but I wonder how it is in Taiwan.
The cheering squad was smaller than in Japan, but they cheered enthusiastically!
I’ve only been to one baseball game in Taiwan, so I’d like to go to another one in the future!
Summary
- The Rakuten Monkeys stadium is in a convenient location.
- Taiwanese baseball has five teams in total
- It is still developing compared to Japan, but it is popular among the people
I summarized about watching baseball games at Taoyuan International Stadium!
I will continue to provide information on Taiwan in the future, so please stay tuned.
Thank you for reading to the end!
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