On May 29th, in a Major League Baseball game in the United States, the Los Angeles Angels played against the New York Yankees at the Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Orange County. The Taiwanese representative to the U.S., Yu Da-keng, specially hurried from Washington DC to throw the ceremonial first pitch for the game.
The Angels’ “Taiwan Day” in the Major League Baseball series of events was the highlight of Orange County’s Taiwanese Traditional Week activities. The Angel Stadium can accommodate over 45,000 people, and on that night, the stands were filled with enthusiastic spectators.
Lin Tsui-yun, the convener of the Orange County Taiwanese Traditional Week and the chair of the North America Taiwan Business Council Board of Directors, said, “During our business council’s visit to Washington DC in March, we met with Representative Yu Da-keng. We are pleased that he accepted the invitation to come to California to throw the first pitch for the Los Angeles Angels’ ‘Taiwan Day’.”
Representative Yu Da-keng stated, “Taiwan and the U.S. share similar principles of freedom, democracy, and human rights, and in terms of sports, especially baseball, there are similarities as well. I am thrilled to throw the first pitch for ‘Taiwan Day’ and share a wonderful evening with many Taiwanese compatriots.”
Lin Tsui-yun expressed gratitude to the support of Jy Ching-yau, Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, Xiao Peiru, Director of the Orange County Educational Center, and the various community organizations. She mentioned the attendance of at least 1,500 compatriots at the event, all eager to promote a better understanding of Taiwan in mainstream society.
Taiwanese people have a great passion for baseball, with their own baseball league and professional players making a mark internationally. Chen Chi-keng, President of the Orange County Taiwanese-American Chamber of Commerce, expressed joy in collaborating to integrate baseball, a beloved American sport, into Taiwan’s traditional week activities, strengthening Taiwan’s presence in mainstream American events.
Prior to the first pitch, the cheerleaders from the Taiwanese baseball team, Fubon Guardians, along with Taiwanese girls, performed an opening dance. Baseball coach Dai Yu-cheng supervised the girls while they interacted with over a hundred fans for photos. The cheers echoed across the stadium as the cheerleaders made their way through, earning appreciation from the stadium staff.
In the game that evening, the Yankees won 2-1 against the Angels. Dai Yu-cheng mentioned a missed opportunity for the Angels in the final inning when a Yankees player caught a hit by an Angels batter with a player already on the third base. Each point the Angels scored at home prompted a fireworks celebration, with the audience standing and applauding.
Xiao Peiru shared, “People can find details of Taiwan Day’s activities on the Angels’ website… Our compatriots are united.” This year, booths set up outside the stadium by EVA Air and the Taiwan Tourism Bureau offered authentic Taiwanese beef noodle soup and pearl milk tea, providing attendees with a taste of Taiwan.
This marks the seventh year of EVA Air sponsoring the Angels. Su Wei-jen, Vice General Manager of EVA Air’s Americas Division, highlighted their commitment to promoting Taiwanese culture abroad through sustained efforts and partnerships, which they feel honored to be a part of.
Liu Min-yu, Assistant Manager for Passenger Services at EVA Air’s Americas Division, mentioned their network across eight stations in North America, offering daily flights from Los Angeles to Taipei three times a day. As a long-time supporter of the Angels, EVA Air sponsors a $1,000 reward for players hitting a home run.
At the Taiwan Tourism Bureau booth, visitors learned about various tourist attractions in Taiwan and participated in a spinning wheel game, winning intricately carved dragon paper lanterns known as “Little Dragon Packs.” The hands-on assembly process made these lanterns a popular choice among attendees.