World Series Junior League - Game 1 v Chinese Taipei

In Chinese Taipei or Taiwan, they are very good at making things..."Made in Taiwan" is a familiar slogan. In fact the generous Chinese government has also made them 'Chinese Taipei' rather than 'Taiwan' now. No matter, they are a cheerful and determined people who will make their own way and impression regardless.

This was reflected in the crowd at tonight's game with some fans labelling themselves "Taiwan" and others "Chinese Taipei". Two flags, two political ideologies humbly sitting in a foreign land at a Detroit ballpark...a polite, silent protest perhaps - or just a struggle for their lost identity. We hope their imperial government is equally as silent and understanding on the matter.



It had zero effect on the game of course. Chinese Taipei are still world junior league baseball champions in this realm and have been for four successive years...travelling silently in buses from the airport, eating meals in their own rooms, devoid of contact with other teams and players. Precision?... yes...Fun? well...ummmm...

Sadly, today their Junior League World Series baseball team - Shing-Ming Junior League - made us look twice at our game. They were exceptionally powerful, executing a mercy win 11-0 after five completed innings.

We started with some good quality at bats from Riley Watson and Clayton Campbell. No results on the scoreboard however. Number 15 - Liam McCallum - then set a strong and enterprising tone, cracking a beautiful line drive to left field off their incredible pitcher for a safe base hit. Neon LED bright start. No runs however.

Then with Chinese Taipei at the crease, our pitching, led by Liam McCallum, came under intense scrutiny. A copious umpire struggled to bend to see much below waist level and we had to earn every call. Bunt plays abounded as they always do in the Asian baseball game, before a couple of mishit chinkers got runners on. A booming home run was emphatic from a ill timed fast ball and the runs rifled along to 4-0 with some uncharacteristic lazy fielding helping. Liam was under pressure and a hit by pitch and pick off attempt added to a messy and somewhat costly start. A second home run really hurt from a low off speed pitch. We must ask them where they got their team baseball bat used by all players.

Conversely, our batting never really fired despite the rich array of fluro blades of all manner and price. Their pitcher was decidedly quicker. Powerful and quicker than anything most boys would have ever seen before - in Australia and anywhere else. All off the full pitching distance - a new experience too for most of our boys. We edged and fouled...we nicked and scrapped. We never gave in, but we were up against it. Some raced to first base unsuccessfully against powerful fielders of grace and dexterity. Nick Chappell got on base from a first baseman who stepped off the bag, we rolled over and ran hard...but all to no effect.

All the while our fielding and pitching did not always combine warmly. However, Sam McGoldrick's throw from right field to third base saw Brent Iredale execute it perfectly for an excellent out, Riley Watson took a neat catch over his head running in behind first base, Liana Davidson scooped one up nicely at right field and Jack Grey tracked down a nice snare at centre field. Andrew Martin pitched too and mixed it up for some neat moments. The Chinese/ Taiwanese aggression at the plate and speed between the bases was immense. We looked to be in slow motion at times in comparison. Barely was anything left by them - like a pizza shop dog - yet for us, much was left as nervous bats clung to certain shoulders.

Liam McCallum's walk got us another runner on base - and a huge cheer - with their determination to eliminate his repeat performance of his first at-bat, satisfied with that outcome. We had two batters get on base (Liam) and one other (Nick) all night.

Looking at past winners in the last 37 years, Taipei figure strongly. They have form and may have in fact written this manual based on their performance today.

Sure, for us jet lag was evident, energy was a little 'off' and fatigue was evident from the start. Although jets also travel from Chinese Taipei. Why we do not throw full distance from the bump in our national tournament - and are asked to do it internationally - is also a perplexing mystery that the national governing body need to look closely at - and the draw. Australia's automatic entry to this tournament is met with the repeated privilege of playing Chinese Taipei each year. We cannot be seen as a baseballing speed bump. It surely cannot be tolerated by our administrators, who rightfully expect excellence but are seemingly unaware of the impact.

Australia needs to exercise more muscle on the back of 9.000 miles and be humbly courageous in so doing. Postcodes or zipcodes determine all team composition on a world stage we are told. There are clearly big postcodes and baseball populations in Chinese Taipei and in the southern Americas. Countries with human rights issues surprisingly think little of Junior League zipcode accuracy.

The Chinese Taipei discipline, their power and their precision - all hallmarks of this proud and highly successful baseballing nation - were on full display. Their short stop was immense... athletic and powerful. Their catcher could have hit Bill Shorten's credibility from a hundred yards, such was his laser like arm. Their pitcher was a metrometer set on super fast by a playful schoolkid. We could only marvel at their might. They sang, they banged drums and they chanted to pressurise the opposition. We were a little overawed and silent. Internationally we need to bear the fangs sometimes.  However, as Kerry Packer used to say: "Don't explain. Don't complain".

We will all learn from the experience and witness what it takes at that next level. Internationally, U/15 and U/18 World Cups await. Learn and grow...and take that back to their games 9,462 miles (15,228 kilometres) away. Spirit, drive, determination and precision.

Baseball Australia described the outcome as follows: http://baseball.com.au/News/Latest-News/hills-fall-in-jlws-opener