Chinese Professional Baseball League
From BR Bullpen
The Chinese Professional Baseball League is the top baseball league in Taiwan.
It was founded on October 23, 1989 by the owner of Brother Hotel, Inc. Inaugural members were the Wei Chuan Dragons, Mercuries Tigers, Brother Elephants and Uni-President Lions. Of these, only the Elephants and Lions remain in the current six-team league. Other teams include the China Trust Whales, Sinon Bulls, Macoto Cobras and La New Bears. In 2003, the CPBL merged with the Taiwan Major League, its weaker rival from 1997-2002. Starting in 2005, the league champions entered the Asia Series to face the top teams from the Korea Baseball Organization, Nippon Pro Baseball and China Baseball League.
Unlike the NPB, which every team has a minor league team, there are only five minor league squads: Team Blue, the President Lions Second Team, the Brother Elephants, the Chinatrust Whales, and the La New Bears Second Team. As of 2008, the DMedia T-Rex and the Sinon Bulls still did not establish their minor league teams, as all other players play with Team Blue due to a lack of funding or will by their respective parent organzations to create such a team.
The league has faced several gambling scandals in its lifetime, including six in a 7-year period from 2002-2008.
[edit] Current Teams
[edit] Former Teams
- China Times Eagles (1993-1997)
- Chinatrust Whales (1993-2008)
- DMedia T-Rex (2008)
- Jungo Bears (1993-1995); became Sinon Bears
- Mercuries Tigers (1990-1999)
- Sinon Bears (upper 1996); became Sinon Bulls
- Wei Chuan Dragons (1990-1999)
- Macoto Gida (2003); became Macoto Cobras
- First Financial Holdings Agan (2003); became La New Bears
- Macoto Cobras (2004-2007); became DMedia T-Rex
