TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) attended a press conference on Tuesday (July 8) for two Taiwanese teams that will soon participate in the Babe Ruth League World Series held in Branson, Missouri.
The two teams will compete in U12 and U16 competitions held Aug. 7–18. This year will be Taiwan's first time participating in an international competition at the U16 (under 16) level.
The Taiwan Babe Ruth League, authorized by Babe Ruth League International, selects a Taiwan representative team every year. The league mainly seeks children from rural areas, and it will be the third year that the Taiwan Babe Ruth League will lead Taiwanese kids to compete on an international stage, per CNA.
In basic terms, Little League Baseball is for children between the ages of four and 12, while the Babe Ruth League is available to those between the ages of 13 and 18. Furthermore, Little League teams are typically based on geography, while the Babe Ruth League teams are formed through a draft system to ensure competitive balance.
Hsiao appeared at the press conference to cheer on the baseball players before they departed for the U.S. "The Babe Ruth League is a little different from international competitions we are familiar with from the past,” she said.
She added that Taiwan should consider supporting a range of teams at the top and not just first-place finishers: “It is not just the first-place team that should have a chance but also the second-and third-place teams.”
Hsiao cited her own experience as an example. "I never ranked first in exams as a child,” she explained. “Even when I grew up, I was not ranked first in the legislature as I served a remote area that had little care for 10 years.”
She went on to say that “everyone's joint efforts” gave her the opportunity to compete in the “world’s top diplomatic league in Washington, D.C.” and bring good results for Taiwan.
Hsiao encouraged children who wanted to compete abroad, saying, "We look forward to you living out your dreams and showing your best performance.”
This year’s U12 competition was organized by Daping Elementary School in Pingtung County, which featured players from counties that included Hualien, Taitung, Nantou, Yilan, and Kaohsiung. The U16 was organized by the National Taitung University Affiliated Physical Education Senior High School, along with members of New Taipei Municipal Yingge Vocational High School and Hualien Ruisui Junior High School.
