The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in several sports being postponed in light of health and safety concerns. Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball both postponed the upcoming seasons while the NBA suspended play on March 11. The Chinese Professional Baseball League, however, recently returned to action.
The Taiwan-based league played its first game of the 2020 season on Sunday, albeit with some noticeable changes. There were no fans in attendance for the game. Some robot fans were strategically placed throughout the stadium, including some that beat drums. The purpose was to provide some atmosphere for the players taking part.
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First professional game in Taiwan. #CPBL No fans. But at least they made enough progress to return. This is first HR anywhere in 2020. pic.twitter.com/mzi3sZN21A
— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) April 13, 2020
The CPBL was originally scheduled to begin on March 14, but the coronavirus resulted in a delay. Opening day was pushed to April 11, but rain caused the game to be moved to Sunday. The Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions beat the Chinatrust Brothers 4-1 in during an 11-inning game that lasted more than four hours.
This game in Taiwan drew attention for the world’s first meaningful home run of the 2020 season. Kai-Wen Cheng, an outfielder with the Uni-Lions, accounted for this hit during the first inning. He faced off with former Seattle Mariners pitcher Ariel Miranda, who spent three seasons in MLB.
“So if these guys can be around each other why can’t the fans go? Can’t have it both ways IMO,” one person commented on social media. There were several sports fans happy that baseball was returning, albeit in a different country. Others simply had questions about the logistics behind Sunday’s game.
While there were some discussions about the actual game and how it could potentially mean the return of sports in the United States in the coming months, there were other fans focused on different aspects. Several Twitter users wanted to know if it was possible to gamble on the CPBL. The lack of sports has resulted in no wagers being placed on horse racing, basketball, baseball and a number of other events.
Other fans, on the other hand, were less worried about gambling and instead wanted to know if there would be future broadcast options. They were hoping that the CPBL will soon be airing on ESPN. The Worldwide Leader in Sports has re-aired past WrestleMania events and sports movies, but there has been a lack of sports. The fans would prefer to see baseball.
