TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s best opportunity to advance out of Pool A was dashed when the team succumbed in a lopsided loss to Cuba 7-1 late Sunday afternoon (March 13).
The only hope was predicated on Italy defeating the Netherlands, and a favorable outcome in tie-breaking scenarios. Each team in Pool A finished with an identical 2-2 record, but the tie-breaker (runs allowed divided by the number of defensive outs) was where Taiwan faltered.
Taiwan ranked last in Pool A as a result of surrendering 31 runs over 4 games, according to CBS Sports. Poor pitching, porous defense, and too many unforced errors cost the team relegation from the next WBC tournament, meaning Taiwan will have to win their way back into WBC play through participation in a qualifying tournament.
If there were any bright spots for the Taiwan team, strong performances by Yu Chang (張育成) and Li Lin (林立) powered an improbable comeback victory against Italy and helped defeat a strong Dutch squad. Also, strong audience participation and the popularity of cheerleaders bode well for the upcoming CPBL season.
At the conclusion of group play, Yu Chang was selected as the MVP of Pool A with 2 home runs and an outstanding 7-for-16 at the plate for a batting average of .438. He also had the distinction of scoring the lone run or the only RBI in what would have been a shutout loss to Cuba.
It’s worth noting that Taiwan has been in this situation before. The previous WBC tournament in 2017 also saw Taiwan finish last in group play. According to regulations, Taiwan would have to earn a spot in the tournament through participation in qualifying play.
However, because the number of teams in the tournament expanded from the original 16 to 20, Taiwan was able to directly qualify for the 2023 WBC competition, per CNA. This loophole is not expected to exist for the next tournament though, at the moment, qualifying competition for the next WBC tournament has yet to be finalized.