| ¡¹ BRIEF HISTORY OF CPBL |
| Preparation |
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) was founded on October 23rd, 1989 following a 20-month campaign started by the Hung Tung-Sheng, owner of Brother Hotel Inc., and the "Professional Baseball Formation Committee" which was founded by Hung and chaired by the President of Chinese Taipei Baseball Association, Tang Pan-Pan. |
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Founding
- Brother
- Mercuries
- Wei Chuan
- Uni-President |
The formation committee successfully recruited four business entities including Wei Chuan Corp., Uni-President Enterprises Corp., Mercuries & Associates and Brother Hotel Inc. to form a four-club league. CPBL held its inauguration game on March 17th, 1990 as the Uni-President Lions defeated the Brother Elephants with the score of 4-3. The nation with rich baseball history therefore entered its professional baseball era.
Since the professional baseball was introduced to the public in Taiwan, baseball has more than ever blended into the life of Taiwanese people. The total accumulated attendance has reached 10 millions in 1997 as the Presidents, Prime Ministers and celebrities from all fields were among the enthusiastic fans in the ballparks throughout the island. |
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Expansion
- Chinatimes
- Jungo/Sinon
- Chinatrust |
The league was joined by two franchises in 1993 as the Chinatimes and Jungo organizations became the new members of the expanded league. In 1997 the League expanded again with the addition of the Chinatrust to become a seven-club league. However the Chinatimes organization was suspended in 1997 and ultimately withdrew from baseball (in 1998) due to the possible allegation with game-fixing matters. The Mercuries and Wei Chuan organizations also withdrew from baseball at the end of 1999 season. |
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Merger
- Agan
- Gida |
On January 13th, 2003 the CPBL franchises signed merger agreement with the Naluwan Corporation to bring the professional baseball in Taiwan back to single-league era, ending the six-year fierce competition between the two leagues for talent and territories. With the dissolving of the Taiwan Major League, CPBL enters its 14th season with two new franchises (Gida and Agan) in addition to Bulls, Elephants, Lions and the Whales. |
| ¡¹ CHRONOLOGY |
| 1980s | 12/31/1987 | "Professional Baseball Formation Committee" founded. |
| 10/23/1989 | "The Chinese Professional Baseball League" founded. |
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| 1990s | 03/17/1990 | CPBL season inaugurated. |
| 07/07/1992 | CPBL expansion plan confirmed: Chinatimes (Eagles) and Jungo (Bears) organization admitted to the League. |
| 11/05/1995 | Jungo organization sold its 55% share to Sinon Group; the club was renamed to Sinon. |
| 02/15/1996 | CPBL expansion confirmed: Chinatrust (Whales) organization admitted to the League. |
| 06/07/1996 | Sinon Group bought the rest 45% share from Jungo organization; the club renamed to "Sinon Bulls." |
| 11/14/1997 | Chinatimes organization ordered to suspend its operation for one (1) year pending investigation related to possible game-fixing involvement. |
| 09/15/1998 | Chinatimes organization withdrew from the League. |
| 11/08/1999 | Mercuries organization withdrew from the League. |
| 12/13/1999 | Wei Chuan organization withdrew form the League. |
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| 2000 | 08/21/2000 | First official meeting between CPBL and Naluwan Corp. to discuss possible merger issues. |
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| 2001 | 08/15/2001 | Second official meeting between CPBL and Naluwan Corp. |
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| 2002 | 10/02/2002 | Memorandum signed between CPBL and Naluwan Corp. regarding detailed merger conditions. |
| 12/30/2002 | Naluwan Corp. reached decision to dissolve Taiwan Major League. |
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| 2003 | 01/13/2003 | CPBL franchises signed agreement with Naluwan Corp. to announce the status of professional baseball in Taiwan. President Chen Shui-bien delivered the blessing notes at the merger press conference. |
| 03/01/2003 | Merged and expanded CPBL opened its 14th season at Tienmu Stadium. |
| 10/2003 | First ¡§Taiwan Series¡¨ played between the Sinon Bulls and the Brother Elephants as the Elephants took the series 4-2 en route to clinch their second ¡§three-consecutive-championship.¡¨ |
| 12/26/2003 | The executive council approved the transfer applications submitted by Naluwan Corp. and First Financial Corp. The Naluwan franchise would be sold to Macoto Bank, and the First Financial franchise would be sold to La new Corp. |
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| 2004 | 8/2004 | CPBL season suspended for a month due to Athens Olympics as 12 out of 24 players, coaches and staff of Chinese Taipei national baseball team were selected from CPBL. |
| 12/11/2004 | Commissioner Harvey Tang past away at the age of 67. The Executive Council announced later that Brother Elephants owner Jui-Ho Hung would succeed as the Acting Commissioner. |
| 12/31/2004 | The high court announced the rulings of the 1997 game-fixing case. 22 out of 23 players indicted in the original case were convicted and sentenced to from seven to twenty months jail time with probation period ranging from one to five years. |
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| 2005 | 7/21/2005 | The first one-game playoff of CPBL history was held at Chiayi Stadium to determine the winner of the first-half season between the Bulls and the COBRAS. The COBRAS defeated 4-0 to win its first half-season title in the franchise history. |
| 7/25/2005 | County DA brought in players, coaches and team translators from La new Bears and other teams for questioning in relating to possible game-fixing allegations. This investigation was later identified as ¡§Second Scandal¡¨ of the Taiwan professional baseball history. The league made the statement to express its determination to fully corporate with the authority, and to announce tighter security measures at all levels. |
| 11/2005 | Sinon Bulls represented CPBL in the inaugural tournament of the ¡§Asia Series¡¨. The Bulls won the third place by defeating the China Stars (CBA), but losing to Chiba Lotte Marines (NPB) and Samsung Lions (KBO). |
| 12/26/2005 | Former Major League player Chen, Chin-Feng was selected by La new Bears in the draft, becoming the first player with ML experience to join the CPBL. The Bears later announced the most expensive contract in CPBL history by signing Chen with a 6-year contract with minimum salary at NT 10,000,000 per season. |
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| 2006 | 2/15/2006 | Dr. Shou-Po Chao, former Chairman of Labor Council, Taiwan Governor and Broadcasting Corporation of China and law professor, was elected to be the 6th Commissioner of CPBL. |
| 3/2006 | CPBL announced its first minor-league season. |
| 6/23/2006 | Uni-President Lions¡¦ winning streak, dating back from 5/19/2006, extended to 17, setting the new CPBL record. |
| 6/27/2006 | Chinatrust Whales defeated Uni-President Lions, making La new Bears the winner of the first-half season; it is the first title on the Bears¡¦ franchise history. |
| 9/23/2006 | La new Bears clinched the second-half title by defeating the Macoto COBRAS 7-1; by winning the both halves the Bears advanced to Taiwan Series to secure its home-field advantage. |
| 10/26/2006 | La new Bears swept the Uni-President Lions 4 games to none in the Taiwan Series, winning its first championship in franchise history and the rights to represent CPBL at the Asia Series. |
| 11/2006 | La new Bears advanced to the final of the ¡§Asia Series¡¨ by defeating the China Stars and Samsung Lions; the Bears later lost to the Nippon Ham Fighters in the final to bring the second place home. |
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| 2007 | 03/02/2007 | The 2007 Charity Series was held at Hsinchuang Stadium as the Bears defeated the Lions 5-2. Chiba Lotte Marines (NPB) manager Bobby Valentine was presented at the pre-Series press conference. |
| 03/17/2007 | The opening game was held at Cheng Ching Lake Stadium with attendance of 10,012, setting the record for the most watched opening game in three seasons. |
| 04/05/2007 | The Lions and the Elephants played 4 hours 52 minutes, setting the new record for longest regular 9-inning game in CPBL history. |
| 05/26/2007 | The Elephants and the COBRAS combined to have 47 hits and 39 runs, setting the new record for most hits and runs in one game. |
| 06/01/2007 | Commissioner was re-elected to his second term by the vote of the Board. |
| 06/25/2007 | The COBRAS clinched the first-half season title by defeating the Whales 5-4. |
| 06/30/2007 | The Lions and the Whales played 4 hours 56 minutes through 12 innings, setting the new record for the longest game in CPBL history (without interference by weather); both team combined to sent 42 players and 113 plate appearances, also a record in CPBL. |
| 07/24/2007 | Pete Munro of the Lions set a new record for most innings pitched without base on balls / dead balls at 38 innings. |
| 08/23/2007 | The district attorney questioned five players from the Whales regarding possible allegation of game fixing scandals. Two players were later released by the Club and were announced ineligible for life. |
| 10/03/2007 | Kuo-Ching Kao of the Lions collected his 144th hit of the season, setting the new record of CPBL for most hits in single season. |
| 10/05/2007 | Tilson Brito of the Lions belted his 33rd homerun and 106th RBI of the season, setting new records on both categories in CPBL. |
| 10/10/2007 | The Bears clinched the second-half season title by defeating the Lions, 4-1, in the last game of the season to advance to Taiwan Series. The Lions also advanced to the playoff as wild card. |
| 10/14/2007 | The Lions swept the COBRAS in the best-of-five Playoff Series to advance to Taiwan Series. |
| 10/28/2007 | The Lions defeated the Bears 4-3 in the best-of seven Taiwan Series to clinch the Championship of 2007 and the berth to represent CPBL at the KONAMI CUP Asia Series to be held in Tokyo, Japan. |
| 11/10/2007 | The Lions lost to the SK Wyverns (KBO) 1-13, placed on third with only 1 win in the KONAMI CUP Asia Series 2007. |
Championship
by season | 1990¡@Wei Chuan Dragons defeated Mercuries Tigers, 4-2 |
| 1991¡@Uni-President Lions defeated Wei Chuan Dragons, 4-3 |
| 1992¡@Brother Elephants (by winning both half-seasons) |
| 1993¡@Brother Elephants defeated Uni-President Lions, 4-2 |
| 1994¡@Brother Elephants (by winning both half-seasons) |
| 1995¡@Uni-President Lions (by winning both half-seasons) |
| 1996¡@Uni-President Lions defeated Wei Chuan Dragons, 4-2 |
| 1997¡@Wei Chuan Dragons defeated Chinatimes Eagles, 4-2 |
| 1998¡@Wei Chuan Dragons defeated Sinon Bulls, 4-3 |
| 1999¡@Wei Chuan Dragons defeated Chinatrust Whales, 4-1 |
| 2000¡@Uni-President Lions defeated Sinon Bulls, 4-3 |
| 2001¡@Brother Elephants defeated Uni-President Lions, 4-3 |
| 2002¡@Brother Elephants defeated Chinatrust Whales, 4-0 |
| 2003¡@Brother Elephants defeated Sinon Bulls, 4-2 |
| 2004¡@Sinon Bulls defeated Uni-President Lions, 4-3 |
| 2005¡@Sinon Bulls defeated Macoto Cobras , 4-0 |
| 2006¡@La New Bears defeated Uni-President Lions, 4-0 |
| 2007¡@Uni-President Lions defeated La new Bears, 4-3 |
