Well, here we are three weeks into this young season in Taiwan. Every day is a new adventure. Being in a whole different culture, I have to be very open-minded and willing to try new things. Our willingness is tested most often at mealtime. We have safe zones such as TGI Friday, Outback, Subway and the ever-popular McDonald’s, but we are not always able to stay in our little safety area. So far I've had the privilege of trying things like beef noodle, local sushi, eel, etc. Definitely not the safe zone, but good stuff.
In the last three weeks I have been learning to adapt to the new style of baseball season here in Taiwan. Baseball is still the same, but how I prepare is going to be a little different this year. Instead of games every day, we have only four to five games a week in the CPBL. This means as a starter I will get one start every seven days as opposed to every five. Right now I am still testing the water on when and how many bullpens to throw during that time. A two-day difference may not seem like a lot, but it can really mess up your personal schedule, especially when it’s been the same for the past
eight years.
Monday is always a day off, which I am not used to. At home we had only one day off a month, not three or four a month. Tuesday is practice and Wednesday is either practice or a game. With our team not having a home park our team meets at the dorm, which also serves as a locker room. Most of the local players live in the dorms during the season. Every day we meet and then depart from this location on our team bus to our daily home stadium or practice field. Everyone usually is dressed in full uniform before we head to the field instead of dressing there. It brings me back my college and high school days.
Every day I learn more of the written and unwritten rules. The pitchers have what is known as a 12-second rule. It keeps the game moving by making sure you throw a pitch within a 12-second time frame. If the ball isn’t thrown you get a warning, and after the warning they become automatic balls. Another rule is that if a batter is hit in the head by a pitch, then the pitcher is ejected from the game immediately. After a home run, if a pitch hits the next batter the pitcher is ejected from the game as well. These are just some of the rules that are great for safety.
As a pitcher there is one part of the game that I am still getting use to. In the States we have our traditional 7th-inning stretch. In Taiwan we have ours after the 5th inning. It is about a 15 to 20-minute break where the players all go in for a smoke break and to change their undershirts. Oh yes, I did say a smoke break. This is the norm over here. I have played with guys that use chewing tobacco, but to light up a heater halfway through a game was a little different for me. These little differences happen on a daily basis so you do what you can to fit in with the team. I have made some great friends on the team and they have shown me their utmost respect. They take me under their wing to help me order food, get around town and anything else I may need. I have learned that if you show someone respect you in turn get some right back. Playing sports has been a big part of my life and has taught me many life lessons. I guess this is simply one more I can put on my list.
Nic Ungs