Asian Games Baseball: CPBL Player Selections Finalized, Military Service Not a Priority

The Baseball Association of Chinese Taipei has submitted its 24-player roster for the upcoming Asian Games in Nagoya, with a finalized list expected around July 10. The association is currently awaiting confirmation from overseas teams regarding their players.

For players in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), selections are largely confirmed. CPBL Secretary-General Lin Tsung-cheng emphasized that the association cannot prioritize players based on their need to complete mandatory military service. "Basically, from the association's standpoint, we cannot start from this position," he stated.

Lin explained that the coaching staff aims to include around six to seven overseas pitchers. However, the process of confirming these players with their respective clubs is ongoing. Regarding CPBL players, the principle is to select one player per team to minimize impact on league games. The focus is on position players, with limited pitcher call-ups, to avoid weakening teams' pitching rotations.

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Basically, from the association's standpoint, we cannot start from this position.

Lin addressed comments from Rakuten Monkeys manager Tseng Hao-chu, who suggested considering players needing military service or re-evaluating selections. Lin clarified that while teams might consider such factors, the association and coaching staff cannot. He noted that Rakuten had initially agreed to release Chen Chen-wei, and any changes to the submitted roster would require a new injury and a replacement from the larger preliminary list, according to regulations.

"We try not to affect the professional league's current situation, but we also need to balance strength, so each CPBL team will select at most one to two players," Lin said. He acknowledged that completely avoiding impact on the CP league season is impossible but expressed hope for understanding and support from the professional league for the national team.

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We try not to affect the professional league's current situation, but we also need to balance strength, so each CPBL team will select at most one to two players.