Baseball Today

The LA Dodgers are to play the San Diego Padres in China. The Dodgers have two players who are from Taiwan. They seem to not care that China threatens their country.

Dodger trip has been delayed.

Davey Lopes will have surgery for Cancer later in the month.

Mercer is resting comfortably after Biopsy.

Taiwanese Players to Play in China

Taiwanese Players OK with Playing in China.

VERO BEACH, Fla. — Among the 27 players the Dodgers are sending to play their two exhibitions against the San Diego Padres next month will be shortstop Chin-lung Hu and left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo.

Hu and Kuo are from Taiwan.

China considers Taiwan to be their property and NOT an independent country.

But Hu and Kuo said that whatever political tensions exist between their self-governing home island and the country that claims it as its own are of no concern to them.

“That means nothing to me,” Hu said. “We just play baseball. Baseball is the same everywhere.”

Said Kuo: “I didn’t know we had problems.”

Well they seem to be up on current events. I am not sure their countrymen would agree with their assessment.

But the threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is real enough that Taiwanese law requires adult males to serve in the military, something from which Hu and Kuo weren’t exempt. At least not completely.

Because Hu and Kuo represented Taiwan in international competitions — or Chinese Taipei, as the country is often called in such events because of pressure from China — they were spared the customary 22-month service period. Instead, they took part in a 12-day basic training program for civilians physically unfit to serve in the military.

Different country, same spoiled attitude.

Lopes has Cancer

Former LA Dodger ad basemen Davey Lopes will have surgery to rid himself of Prostate Cancer later this month.

Lopes played for the Dodgers, went on to Manage the Brewers, and is now a coach for Philadelphia. His condition was found during a routine physical given by the team.

Other News

• Yanks Mercer is resting after biopsy
• Dodgers trip to China delayed — charter company not approved by China

Tags: dodgers, baseball, davey lopes, taiwan, china, padres, san diego, los angeles