Former MLB Player Involved in Fixed Games Scandal

    Tsao Chin-Hui, the former MLB player who was the pitcher in Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Kansas City Royals. He was also the first Taiwanese pitcher who took the challenge in MLB in 2003. After being discharged from the Royals, he was selected by the team, Brother Elephants, which is one of four baseball teams of Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Tsao was accused by the meeting with someone who planned fixed games after the Taiwan Series.


    Investigators found out that many seasonal games were "directed" by gamblers who paid at least $10,000 US as the advantage to the players who were willing to follow their directions to control the result of the game. As the result, people were often told the result of a certain game that wasn't even started. This incident was uncovered by the arrest of ex-Brother Elephants' pitcher, Chuang You-Lin, who was being the middleman by helping gamblers bribing players to control the result of their anticipation. Tsao was later being discharged from Brother Elephants even though he claimed that had never received a dollar and thrown "fake games". 


    The baseball scandal struck Brother Elephants terribly because not only Tsao, but also several Elephants' players were involved of this, especially five players were later confessed having played the fixed games. In addition, this is the first time that Elephants' players committed the unforgiving mistake. The similar scandal of fixed games can be dated back to 1995 when gangs started to bribe and to threaten baseball players for the purpose of controlling the result of games. No one knows the problem still exists until now and hardly believe that the government only sit and watch instead of eliminating it.


    In my point of view, as a baseball fan, the major victim suffered from those repeatedly tragedy are those baseball players who play clearly. Some of the players assert that they are not playing baseball just for profit, but the passion for the sport of baseball. I admire those players who respect their job and Taiwan baseball development; nevertheless it's the only way, for some of them, to make money with their skills. Why many professional baseball players chose to take the risk playing fake games to get the profit for each game which is nearly thirty times their monthly salaries?


    Unlike those players in MLB, CPBL doesn't have complete system to guarantee baseball players welfare. Some players selected by small and poor ball teams only earn $1,000 to $1,500 dollars per month. Furthermore, we don't have free agent system to protect their right of wages arbitration. Brother Elephants is not only the oldest ball team, but also the poorest one in CPBL. Maybe it's the time for them to reform the team and see if there is any firm would like to take over this most famous baseball team in Taiwan.