TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's national baseball team arrived home Wednesday (March 11) to a hero's welcome after World Baseball Classic (WBC, 世界棒球經典賽) elimination, with injured captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) drawing particular acclaim.
Hundreds of fans gathered at Taoyuan International Airport before dawn, cheering "Welcome back!" as players emerged from the preliminary round exit. Chen played through a fractured index finger to score the decisive run against South Korea in Taiwan's final victory of the tournament.
Team captain Chen thanked fans through an in-flight announcement, acknowledging that supporters had transformed Tokyo Dome (東京巨蛋) into home territory throughout the tournament. "This feeling will remain in our hearts," Chen said after landing. He suffered the fracture after being hit by a pitch but still delivered the winning run.
Uni-President Lions (統一獅) manager Su Tai-an (蘇泰安) said Chen will receive treatment at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (長庚醫院) on Friday (March 13). Su outlined a rehabilitation plan, estimating recovery will take 6 to 8 weeks for the injured captain. Fans at the airport praised Taiwan's fighting spirit and the team's increasing competitiveness.
