Playing in an exhibition game versus a squad of Major League All-Stars, Chiang and the Yomiuri Giants managed a 7-7 tie in a 9 inning game. Getting the opportunity to face some of the best hitters in the world, Chiang did just fine. He pitched 6 innings, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits (2 HR's allowed - both in the 6th inning on back to back HR's to Ryan Howard and Andruw Jones), with 0 K's. The MLB All-Stars will face off against the NPB All-Stars starting tomorrow in a 5 game series.

AFL
Hu was a combined 1-8 with 1 run scored these past 2 days. 11/1 Box 11/2 Box

CT NT News
As Maos mentioned earlier, the NT lost to the LA New Bears in an exhibition game on Monday 4-3. The NT also dropped a rain-shortened game 2 to the Bears today 2-1. Despite being on the losing end in both games, one bright spot for the NT has been the performance of phenom Chung-Shou Yang, who cranked out 2 hits in Monday's game and drove in the only run for the NT in game 2. Next up for the NT - the Italian NT on Thursday.

Japan
It's official - Lin's a Giant! Pics from Yi-Hao Lin's press conference formally announcing his signing. He will wear # 106

Amateur
Good news for our senior NT. Major Leaguer Shin-Soo Choo and feared NPB slugger S.Y. Lee will not be playing for South Korea in the 2006 Asian Games.

Despite missing out on an opportunity to medal, the junior NT is still playing in Cuba. The classification games will determine places 5-8. Taiwan plays Panama tomorrow. Shockingly, the US beat previously unbeaten Cuba in one quarterfinal and then Mexico in the semifinal to advance to the championship game where it will face either South Korea or Canada. What a great turnaround for the US junior NT!

CPBL
The LA New Bears won both half season titles to guarantee themselves a spot in the CPBL Championship game. NT member Si-Yo Wu won his league leading 16th game of the season for the LA New Bears on Saturday as the Bears beat the Cobras to clinch the second half season title. In other Saturday news, Chang cracked his league best 22nd HR (C.F. Chen is still stuck on 20) of the season but his team lost 6-1 to the Elephants. Read more here.
En-Yu Lin of the Cobras will attempt to win #17 today against the Lions.

This is the story of uber-prospect Yi-Hao Lin. The 15 year old who's fastball has already been clocked at 93 mph is part of an ongoing trend of underhanded deals that send some of Taiwan's best players to Japan. A well-documented case of this practice occurred in the early 80's when the Blue Jays tried to sign Taiwanese legend Tai-Yuan Kuo. Despite securing a verbal agreement with Kuo, the Jays ultimately ended up losing Kuo to the NPB Seibu Lions when Kuo's brother made an under-the-table deal with financial incentives to secure Kuo's rights with the Lions.
Moving on to the present - Lin was signed, sealed and delivered to the Yomiuri Giants with his parents' blessings and the guidance of his junior HS coach Wu-Hsiung Huang and WBC head coach Hua-Wei Lin. Here's where things start to get a little gray. First of all, Lin is only 15 years old. Even in the MLB, there's a rule that kids have to be at least 16 years of age to sign with a ball club. The fact that Lin is already off the market table with his "commitment" to the Yomiuri Giants is compounded by the rumor that both W.H. Huang and H.W. Lin were compensated for helping to deliver Y.H. Lin to the Giants. Also, consider this: W.H. Huang and H.W. Lin were staunch advocates against Taiwanese HS kids signing with Major League clubs until after their graduation. This philosophy contradicts their stance with Lin. Did Huang and Lin really have Lin's best interest at heart, or were they merely looking out for themselves? I dunno, I just merely present the info so that you can come to your own conclusion.


As for Lin, he is currenty on the under 16 NT that will be playing in Indonesia from September 3rd through the 10th, competing for the title of Asia's best in the youth category. He will be joined by fellow top prospect, Rong-Hao Hsieh, a 16 year old pitcher with good mound presence and a fastball in the upper 80's.