TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Chinese Taipei's national baseball team prepares to face Puerto Rico Friday (Sept. 12) at 1:30 p.m. in a crucial U18 Baseball World Cup super round matchup following Thursday's devastating loss to South Korea. Chen Shih-Chan (陳世展), a promising young pitcher from Taiwan's professional Rakuten Monkeys (樂天桃猿) team, will start on the mound in Okinawa, Japan. Manager Liao Hung-Yuan (廖宏淵) controversially announced that Chen will pitch until reaching the tournament's maximum pitch limit, generating heated debate about this aggressive pitching strategy.
Tournament regulations establish strict pitch count limits with corresponding mandatory rest periods for player safety and performance management. Pitchers throwing up to 40 pitches require no rest, while those exceeding this threshold face escalating rest requirements: 41-55 pitches demand one day, 56-75 need two days, 76-90 require three days, and 91-105 mandate four days rest. Chen last pitched Saturday (Sept. 7) with 75 pitches and now plans to push toward the tournament's maximum 105-pitch threshold in this critical game.
Chinese Taipei's crushing 1-8 defeat to South Korea a day earlier in the U18 Baseball World Cup super round has ignited widespread controversy surrounding the team's management and performance. Manager Liao's highly unconventional pitcher substitution method, where he tossed the ball directly to incoming reliever Wang Yi-Hsiang (王奕翔) without walking to the mound, sparked intense fan criticism. Supporters expressed profound dissatisfaction with this approach, interpreting his actions as disrespectful toward players and reflecting deteriorating team morale during this crucial international tournament. ◼
