The Major League Baseball’s “Angels Taiwanese Heritage Night” will be held on May 29, with the Los Angeles Angels hosting the New York Yankees at their home stadium in Anaheim. Led by “The Trout” Mike Trout, the Angels will face the current American League East champions, the Yankees, on this special night. The game will kick off with a performance by the Wing Stars cheerleading team from Taiwan, aiming to showcase Taiwanese baseball culture to the local American audience.
The Angels Stadium, located in Anaheim, Orange County, has received strong support for the MLB’s “Taiwan Night” from Xiao Beiru, Director of the Overseas Chinese Culture and Education Service Center in Orange County. She expressed her hope that by hosting this event for the second consecutive year, it will help connect local Taiwanese-American communities in Southern California and promote a positive image of Taiwan.
Chen Qigeng, President of the Orange County Taiwan American Chamber of Commerce and Overseas Chinese Affairs Commissioner, expressed gratitude for the efforts of former Taiwan Brother Elephants coach Dai Yucheng in promoting baseball. He emphasized that baseball is a universal sport loved and followed by Taiwanese and American people alike. Chen urged friends who support and recognize Taiwan to attend the rare “Angels Taiwanese Heritage Night” and looked forward to expanding collaborative activities between the Taiwanese community and American society.
Lin Cuiyun, a member of the Orange County Taiwan Traditional Week organizing committee, highlighted the preparations for this year’s event with guidance from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles and the Orange County Overseas Chinese Center. Not only will the event feature the popular Taiwanese band “Sunny Wang,” but also the lively performance of the Kaohsiung Taiwan Steel Bullhawks cheerleading team – Wing Stars, specially invited from Taiwan. Additionally, with the assistance of EVA Air and the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, there will be an exhibition of Taiwan’s cultural village.
The seating arrangement for this year’s “Taiwan Night” will be the same as last year, spanning Sections 101-104, 201-205, and 257-260, located in the outfield home run area and near the pitcher’s bullpen. Coach Dai reminded spectators to bring their baseball gloves and be ready to catch balls as the home run rate is particularly high during “Taiwan Night” games. Last year’s event saw four home runs hit, much to the delight of fans who eagerly scrambled to catch the balls.
Tickets for “Taiwan Night” are priced at $40 each and come with a commemorative T-shirt. The T-shirts will be available in two sizes for men, M and XL, distributed near Gate 1 at the Rose Garden of the Angels Stadium. The game starts at 6:38 PM, with gates opening for fans at 5:08 PM. For those who have not yet purchased tickets, they can visit the official “Angels Taiwanese Heritage Night” ticket website at https://www.mlb.com/angels/tickets/specials/taiwan to make their purchase.