“It’s not luck, but hard work,” stated a Japanese manager of the CTBC Brothers baseball club after winning three championships in the last four years.
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The CTBC Brothers baseball club, last year’s champions of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) under the leadership of Japanese manager Keiichi Hirano, visited the Presidential Office on Tuesday. President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) jokingly mentioned being a fan of the Uni-Lions but expressed great admiration for the CTBC Brothers.
Former MLB star Wang Chien-ming (王建民), who is now the team's pitching coach, has met four different presidents and had an extended conversation with President Lai during the ceremony. Hirano became the first foreign manager to be received by a Taiwanese president.
Hirano stated that the championship is a result of the players' hard work and the coaching staff's dedication, emphasizing that their efforts earned results from giving their all in every game. The Brothers have won three championships in the past four years.
During the handshake ceremony, President Lai spent extra time chatting with Wang, asking if he frequently returns to Tainan. The president also praised Brothers player Sung Cheng-jui (宋晟睿) for his impressive performance in the World Baseball Classic, highlighting his inside-the-park home run and spectacular diving catches, describing him as having "Qinggong-like skills, flying over grass.”
The CTBC Brothers’ cheerleading squad, Passion Sisters, also attended the presidential meeting, describing the experience as a new achievement as they prepare for the upcoming CPBL season.