Recently, the 17th UEFA EURO 2024 kicked off, and many soccer fans in Southern California are glued to their TV screens to watch the matches. However, besides soccer, baseball is also a beloved sport for many Southern Californians. On June 22nd (last Saturday), a friendly match was held at Memorial Park in Azusa between HeyGo, composed of Taiwanese residents in Southern California, and the San Diego baseball team. The two teams gathered under the scorching sun to share their love for the game of baseball.
The friendly match was graced by Chen Jiayuan, the head of the Technology Division at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, as the guest of honor for the ceremonial first pitch. In order to give every player a chance to participate, the game implemented a flexible rotation system. Both teams expressed that the enjoyment of the game surpassed the desire to win. Each player gave their all in batting and defense, embodying the true spirit and meaning of sports.
Founded in 2020, the Los Angeles HeyGo baseball team has grown into a mature community team that not only participates regularly in local leagues but also actively engages in friendly matches with various teams. Team captain Chen Yishen mentioned that HeyGo currently has around twenty active members, ranging in age from their twenties to their forties and fifties, spanning across different generations.
Having played for his high school baseball team, Chen Yishen joined the HeyGo team through his elder brother’s introduction. He noticed that despite the busy work and family schedules of team members, everyone is dedicated during Sunday training sessions, investing a lot of energy. In addition to members from Taiwan, the team also includes immigrants from mainland China and Hong Kong, bonding over baseball and transcending geographical and cultural barriers.
The San Diego team captain, Ho Jirui, responsible for outfield defense, shared that their team was established during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, originating from a group of baseball enthusiasts holding sporadic catch activities. As pandemic restrictions eased, the members gradually evolved into an official team. Currently, the San Diego team consists of around 15 members, primarily comprising students, alumni, and working professionals from UCSD.
Ho Jirui mentioned that besides Taiwanese immigrants, who have a passion for baseball and team organization, Hispanic and Korean communities in Southern California have also formed numerous community baseball teams. There are many regional local games in the US that teams can participate in. The connection between HeyGo and the San Diego teams was initiated online, as they got to know each other through Facebook and YouTube videos. After establishing contact, they organized this friendly match.
Coach Lin Yuezhi of the HeyGo team expressed that baseball is a national sport in Taiwan, with two or three Taiwanese teams in Los Angeles alone. He looks forward to the opportunity of hosting friendly matches for Taiwanese student and community teams in different regions of the United States, bringing together Taiwan’s baseball enthusiasts to interact and bond.