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CPBL = Independent Leagues

Discussion in the Around Asia forum
CPBL = Independent Leagues
The Chinese Professional Baseball League's popularity has been on a decline since 1995, the last year the league averaged over 5,000 fans per game. The last three years have seen an increase to just over 3,000 per game.

The NPB and KBO have foreign players from Triple-A, but the CPBL has tobacco chewing, steriod abusing (ala Hank Woodman, Luis Ugueto) independent league ballplayers. The CPBL also features washed up 40 year olds collecting a pay cheque.

However, baseball is still baseball. People go to the games to have fun. Gone are the days when fans cried after a Weichuan Dragons Taiwan Series victory.
Comments
Re: CPBL = Independent Leagues
[ Author: Maos.W | Posted: Apr 20, 2006 7:25 PM | SL Fan ]

My question to you is, have you actually seen or read, or even closely followed the CPBL?

Sure, the salaries here don't attract as many good players like in Japan and Korea, but the foreign players here aren't all from independent leagues.

Last year, you might have heard about the washed up 40 year olds. But if you actually follow the CPBL or look up the foreign players of the 2006 season, you see the quality of players has greatly increased. This year, all of the foreign players are under the age of about 34, and most of them come from minor league organizations ranging from Double A and Triple A.

Here's a list of foreigners for this season:

Sinon Bulls
    Jorge Cortez - Age 33
    Clint Weibl - Age 31 - Nashville AAA (2005)
    Alfredo Gonzales - Age 27 - Las Vegas AAA (2005)
Macoto Cobras
    Jose Pinagua - Age 32 - Chi White Sox (2003)
    Milvio Cuevas - Age 26
Brother Elephants
    Tetsu Yofu - Age 32 - Birmingham AA (2005) (I admit he seems to have a past with steriods.)
    Brian Rodaway - Age 27 - Lincoln Independant (2005)
    Blas Cedeno - Age 31 - Camden Ind (2004)
    Marquetti Barbaro - Age 28 - Cuba
ChinaTrust Whales
    Dario Veras - Age 33 - CPBL (2005), Buffalo AAA (2001)
    Edwin Minaya - Age 30
    Steve Smyth - Age 28 - Scremento AAA (2005)
President Lions
    Eric Cyr - Age 27 - Salt Lake AAA (2005)
    Timothy Kester - Age 33 - Pawtucket AAA (2005)
    Brett Laxton - Age 31 - Camden Ind (2005)
LaNew Bears
    Gustavo Martinez - Age 31
    Kenny Rayborn - Age 32 - Hiroshima Carp (2005)
    Pedro Minaya - Age 29
Re: CPBL = Independent Leagues
[ Author: Guest: Mike | Posted: Apr 20, 2006 9:22 PM ]

Ugueto was suspended twice for violating baseball's steroid policy and was released after the second violation. No Major League organization was willing to pick him up.

I don't think Yofu had a problem with steriods. After college he spent five years dominating the industrial leagues. He then played in Taiwan but could not get a chance after returning to Japan with the Fukuoka Hawks. Yofu then went to the United States and is now back in Taiwan.
Re: CPBL = Independent Leagues
[ Author: Guest: John Brooks | Posted: Apr 22, 2006 3:44 AM ]

Yofu was suspended last year for 10-15 games for violating the minor league drug policy.

As for the CPBL, the league foreign players are definetly improving as pointed out above.
Re: CPBL = Independent Leagues
[ Author: Guest | Posted: Jun 14, 2006 1:13 AM ]

Funny to me how only the foreign players get tested in the CPBL. I guess the only players who would think of doing drugs are former MLB players.
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