Playing in Isolation

A History of Baseball in Taiwan

By Junwei Yu

249 pages
20 photographs, index

Hardcover

June 2007

978-0-8032-1140-7

$30.00 Add to Cart

eBook (PDF)

Ebook purchases delivered via Leaf e-Reader

June 2007

978-0-8032-0689-2

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About the Book

Despite the political instability characterizing twentieth-century Taiwan, the value of baseball in the lives of Taiwanese has been a constant since the game was introduced in 1895. The game first gained popularity on the island under the Japanese occupation, and that popularity continued after World War II despite the withdrawal of the Japanese and an official lack of support from the new state power, the Chinese Nationalist Party. The remarkable success of Taiwanese Little League teams in the 1970s and 1980s cemented Taiwan’s relationship with the game.

Taiwanese native Junwei Yu’s Playing in Isolation presents a comprehensive account of that relationship. While giving due credit to the great successes in Taiwanese baseball, Yu also addresses the scandals and controversies that have plagued the sport, including game fixing, improper recruitment practices, and the age-deception fiasco that tainted Taiwan’s seventeen Little League World Series wins. In addition Yu draws attention to the influence traditional culture exerts on parental support of sports versus education and more sedentary occupations.

Drawing on detailed research and personal experience, Yu provides a rare, honest look at the reality of baseball in Taiwan and offers an insider’s perspective on a unique part of baseball history.

Author Bio

Junwei Yu is an assistant professor in the Department of Recreation and Sport Management at Shu Te University in Taiwan. He has served as an official scorer in the International Baseball Association Under-16 Tournament and as an interpreter for the 2001 World Baseball Cup.

Praise

“While the book is certainly aimed at baseball fans, it is also a good read for anyone wanting a unique look at 20th century Taiwanese history from an angle not usually covered in textbooks.”—Mark Langer, Taipei Times

“[A] highly original exploration of Taiwan’s political history from the Japanese occupation (1895-1945) to the present through the lens of baseball’s development on the island.”—Taiwan Review

"A worthwhile read."—Roberta Newman, NINE

"This book gives a thorough inside into Taiwanese baseball history and as such is an asset to all sport lovers, especially baseball lovers. Not only is it a good English-learning textbook for those who study PE/sport in Taiwan, it is also a good book for policy makers to rethink and reflect what can be done for the healthy future of Taiwanese sport."—Li-Hong (Leo) Hsu, Journal of Sport History

"Both comprehensive and fascinating."—John Grant Ross, bookish.asia

Contents

List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
Note on Romanization of Chinese Names
Introduction

1. Wooden-Ball Finds a Home, 1895-1945
2. The Golden Era of Baseball, 1946-1967
3. The Myth of Hongye and the LLB Championship, 1968-1974
4. A Drastic Decline in Baseball's Population, 1975-1989
5. The Birth of Professional Baseball, 1990-1995
6. Multiple Crises, 1996-2001
7. The 2001 World Cup: A Turning Point?
Conclusion
Appendix 1. Taiwanese teams in Little League (under-13)
Appendix 2. Taiwanese teams in Senior League (age 13-15)
Appendix 3. Taiwanese teams in Big League (age 16-18)
Appendix 4. IBA under-19 competition
Appendix 5. Taiwanese players signed by Japanese pro clubs before the CPBL
Appendix 6. Taiwanese players signed by Japanese and Korean amateur clubs after World War II
Appendix 7. Sentences and fines for pro baseball gambling and match-fixing in 1997
Appendix 8. Twenty-seven players suspected of match-fixing but released for lack of evidence
Appendix 9. Taiwanese players signed by foreign pro clubs after the creation of the CPBL
Notes

Bibliography
Index

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