TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Yu Chang (張育成) has provided the spark that Taiwan has needed to make it through a very difficult Pool A qualifier in this year’s World Baseball Classic.
Taiwan was on the ropes against Italy 5-7 in late innings when a Yu Chang homer tied the ballgame and sparked a comeback victory. Less than 24 hours later, his 4-run grand slam put the game out of reach against a talented Dutch squad.
The Dutch are a powerhouse in international baseball due to overseas territories in the Carribean: Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. These islands have provided a bounty of ball players, with nearly half of the Dutch roster coming from the MLB, including bonafide stars like Xander Bogaerts, Didi Gregorius, and relief pitcher Kanley Jansen.
While such talent led the Dutch squad to the quarterfinals last year, Taiwan has never advanced past group play, mostly due to a dearth of pitching and hitting talent. Taiwan's roster is mostly homegrown with only a sprinkling of players in overseas leagues.
All rise for the Minister of Defense. (CNA photo)
Yu Chang’s time in the spotlight could not have come at a better moment as he spent much of 2022 shuttling between four teams after being groomed by the Cleveland Guardians, who stuck with him for his defense even though he only hit .200 from the plate in 2019-2022.
What kept him on the Guardians' roster, and earned him a journeyman role in the MLB, were his utility infielder skills. His solid play at first base has indeed helped anchor the Taiwan team when they take the field.
The Boston Red Sox jettisoned him at the conclusion of the 2022 season by “non-tendering” his contract. This year, however, they have invited him back to spring training, though he's playing without the guarantee of a position on the Red Sox Opening Day (March 30) roster.
In fact, Yu Chang was so concerned about his MLB career that he initially rebuked an offer to join the Taiwan WBC roster. Netizens derided his initial hesitancy, denigrating him as no better than a lowly private (二兵) on the team, though after his recent offensive outpouring, they saluted his new rank as defense minister.
As Taiwan takes on Cuba at noon today, many are hoping Yu Chang will continue to lead his team out of Pool A and potentially extend his deployment to the next round of competition in Japan. For now, the MLB can wait as his country needs his service.