TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Chinese Professional Baseball League (中職) announced on Monday (Jan. 20) that they will host an international exchange warm-up game with the South Korean Lotte Giants (樂天巨人隊) on Feb. 12 and 13 at the Taipei Dome (台北大巨蛋). The Chinese Taipei national baseball team (中華隊) will begin intensive training on Feb. 3 in preparation for the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, which will begin on Feb. 21.
CPBL commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) explained that the league rented the Taipei Dome specifically to help the team acclimate to the venue during their training period from Feb. 3-13. This includes internal warm-up games and tactical drills. Tsai stated that not only can fans see the players' skills, but the cheerleading squads from Taiwan and Korea will also be a highlight, with their lineup to be announced soon.
The Taipei Dome will host a press conference on Feb. 4 to announce the event, with ticket sales starting on Feb. 5. Initial ticket prices range from NT$480 to NT$880 for prime infield seats. Organizers aim to attract more fans to support the Chinese Taipei team.
The Lotte Giants, a founding team of the Korean Baseball Organization in 1982, will visit Taiwan for four days of spring training. The Giants have won two championships and frequently engage in baseball exchanges with Taiwan. After the Lunar New Year, the Chinese Taipei team will continue training at the Tianmu Baseball Stadium (天母棒球場) until Feb. 18.
