The World Baseball Classic (WBC) frenzy has taken over the San Francisco Bay Area. On the evening of March 7th (last Saturday), the Bay Area overseas community gathered at the Reliable Restaurant in Cupertino to show their support for the Chinese national team playing at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. Nearly a hundred fans gathered together to cheer on their team. The atmosphere was electrifying when the Chinese team ultimately defeated the Korean team, with cheers and excitement filling the venue.
In the match that day, the Chinese team defeated the Korean team 5-4, marking a historic first victory against Korea in the Classic.
Many fans wore team jerseys, waved towels, and brought various cheering props as they watched the live broadcast together. From the first inning, the excitement in the venue continued to rise as fans cheered with every pitch and hit, staying engaged throughout the game. As the game went into extra innings and Taiwan secured the victory at a critical moment, the entire place erupted into deafening cheers, reaching a crescendo of excitement.
The organizer of the event, Dennis Chen, the founder of the North American Taiwanese Major League, mentioned that the World Baseball Classic is one of the highest-level and most competitive international baseball tournaments globally. With representatives from various countries and numerous Major League players participating, it has garnered significant attention from fans. He noted that the Bay Area has a large young population and a strong baseball fan base, with everyone showing exceptional enthusiasm for the event, especially in supporting the Taiwanese team.
Rommie Tsai and Andy Lin, owners of Reliable Restaurant, who have long supported Taiwan baseball, specially introduced a limited menu featuring sausages, beer, salted crispy chicken, and extended their operating hours until the end of the game. Rommie Tsai expressed joy in seeing many Taiwanese people coming together to support the team, remarking on the positive atmosphere.
23-year-old student Bradley from San Jose remarked that he doesn’t usually watch baseball but enjoys attending such viewing events. He appreciated the opportunity to join fellow Taiwanese in cheering for the team in the Bay Area, where such gatherings are rare, using baseball, the national sport, to bond emotionally, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
Engineer Dennis shared that he has been following baseball since second grade and upon hearing about the viewing event at Reliable Restaurant organized by the North American Taiwanese Major League, he invited 10 friends who share his passion for baseball to come along. Most of his friends are from Taiwan and have been in the Bay Area for about four to five years, having a long-standing interest in baseball, hence their strong support for this competition.
There were also many parents attending with their children, the young ones joining their parents in cheering for the Taiwanese team. Young fan, Yohan, mentioned that he developed an interest in baseball because his dad enjoys watching the Taiwanese team, finding the atmosphere lively and the food delicious. Yohan’s father shared how exciting it was to cheer for the Taiwanese team with everyone, applauding and cheering together with each out or score, generating a spirited atmosphere, hoping for a strong performance by the Taiwanese team.
Engineer David and his daughter, Minghong, who were dining at the restaurant, mentioned that they initially came for the beef noodle soup but were pleasantly surprised to find fans gathered to watch the Taiwanese team’s game. Witnessing the continuous cheers and lively atmosphere, father and daughter also felt delighted to join everyone in supporting the Taiwanese team.
Overall, the event brought together a diverse group of fans and supporters, creating a sense of unity and excitement as they cheered on the Taiwanese team in the World Baseball Classic.