Significance of Sports Field

　　A specialist once stated that participants and team numbers are the indicators of the vitality of sports in an area, sports fields plays the same role. From 1910 on, baseball fields and training grounds grew in large numbers, reflecting the flourishing of baseball in Taiwan. Base on “History of Middle School Yakyu in Taiwan”, there were some famous baseball fields in Taipei in the Japanese Occupation time.

Taipei as the Birth Place of Taiwan Baseball

Banker Association Cup (Photo by Mr. Hsieh Shih Yuan)

　　During Japanese Occupation, baseball came to Taiwan with the conquerors. As Taipei was already the center of politics and economy, it naturally became the birth place of Taiwan baseball. After Taiwan Governor Language School organized a baseball team, many teams were also organized(Taipei Technology School, Taipei Commercial School, etc.) Baseball started from Taipei and gradually spread to south and eastern part of Taiwan.

Major Battle Field of Adult Baseball (Taipei 1900~1950)

WeiBao Amateur Team (Photo by Mr. Hsieh Shih Yuan)

　　After Japanese Occupation, amateur adult baseball teams flourished all over the island. Tournaments, such as National Athletic Event, Mayor’s Cup, Bankers’ Cup, etc were held one after the other. At that age of meager material satisfaction, watch a baseball enriched the soul of the material deprived people.
　　Amateur baseball teams were the main stream during these times, and the teams organized by private and government organizations, like Taiwan Power Plant, Cooperate Bank, Taiwan Sugar Company, Railway Company, just to name a few, contains players who were interested in baseball.

Taiwan Cooperate Bank

Taiwan Cooperate Bank Team (Photo by Mr. Hsieh Shih Yuan)

　　From 1945 to 1960, baseball teams are formed by employees of some public-owned companies or run by the local people.
　　For example, the Taiwan Cooperative Bank team was formed by some employees of the bank originally, but there were many skilled baseball players joined later. That makes the Taiwan Cooperative Bank team became a top team in Taiwan at that time. The team even cultivated several good players for Taiwan baseball realm, such as Gao Ying-Jih, Li Lai-Fa, Kang Ming-Shan in early days and Chen Jin-Feng, Lin Zhi-Shen recently. During that period of time, the Taiwan Cooperative Bank team in Taipei and the Taipower team in Kaohsiung were two best teams in Taiwan. They were called “the north Cooperative Bank and the south Taipower” then.