Wei Chuan Dragons

The Wei Chuan Dragons (Chinese: 味全龍; pinyin: Wèiquán Lóng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Bī-chôan-liông) are a professional baseball team in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League that originally existed between 1990 and 1999. In 2019, negotiations regarding the franchise's revival and return to the CPBL took place. The team is to play one season of minor league baseball prior to rejoining the CPBL.[1]

Wei Chuan Dragons
Information
LeagueChinese Professional Baseball League
LocationTaipei (1989–1999)
Hsinchu City (2021–)
BallparkTaipei Municipal Baseball Stadium (1989–1999)
Hsinchu CKS Baseball Stadium (2021–)
Douliu Baseball Stadium (2021–) (training base)
Year founded1989
2019 (refound)
League championships1990 2nd Half
1991 1st Half
1996 2nd Half
1997 2nd Half
Taiwan Series championships1990, 1997, 1998, 1999
ColorsRed
Uniforms

Home

Away

Brief history
Wei Chuan Dragons uniform

This team had a long amateur history when its parent company, the Wei-Chuan Food Corporation, started sponsoring Chinese Culture University's baseball team in late 1970s. After these student players graduated, Wei-Chuan formed an amateur team to allow them to continue playing baseball in 1978; it was this team that later professionalized to become one of the first four teams of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Because of its long Amateur history, its games often drew large attendances, and games with Brother Elephants, another popular team, were often sold-out. This team took the now-demolished Taipei Municipal Baseball Stadium as its home throughout its history.

This club won CPBL championships four times in 1990, 1997, 1998, and 1999, and became the team with most CPBL championships after the 1999 season ended. After the 1999 season, Wei Chuan Food Corporation announced its decision to disband the club,[2] mainly due to:

  • Threats from local criminal gangs (Wei Chuan Dragons's then manager Hsu Sheng-ming was attacked in April 1999)
  • The financial loss brought about by CPBL's game-fixing scandals since 1996
  • Ting Hsin International Group became the largest (40%) shareholder of Wei Chuan Food Corporation in 1998. The new Ting Hsin management did not show high interest in supporting the baseball club.

The disbandment shocked many local fans and a procession was even raised against the decision. However the Wei Chuan Food Corporation did not change its mind. Most Wei Chuan Dragons' coaches and players later found their new homes at Sinon Bulls or Kaohsiung-Pingtung Fala. CPBL also did not fine those former Wei Chuan players and coaches who returned with Macoto Gida and First Financial Holdings Agan before the 2003 season started, because they did not leave CPBL voluntarily.

Records
Qualified for playoffs Taiwan Series Championship

Regular Seasons

Season First half-season Second half-season
Wins Losses Ties Pct. Place Wins Losses Ties Pct. Place
1990 25 20 0 .556 2 27 14 4 .659 1
1991 26 17 2 .605 1 20 19 6 .513 2
1992 23 20 2 .535 2 18 22 5 .450 4
1993 26 19 0 .578 2 22 21 2 .512 3
1994 17 27 1 .386 5 19 25 1 .432 4
1995 25 25 0 .500 3 22 27 1 .449 5
1996 25 23 2 .521 4 30 20 0 .600 1
1997 15 31 2 .326 7 31 15 2 .674 1
1998 56 48 1 .538 3 No half-seasons
1999 49 39 4 .557 3

Playoffs

Season First Round Taiwan Series
Opponent Wins Losses Opponent Wins Losses
1990 No first round Mercuries Tigers 4 2
1991 No first round Uni-President Lions 3 4
1996 No first round Uni-President Lions 2 4
1997 No first round China Times Eagles 4 2
1998 Uni-President Lions 2 1 Sinon Bulls 4 3
1999 Uni-President Lions 2 1 Chinatrust Whales 4 1

Notable former players

See also

References
  1. Shan, Shelley (14 May 2019). "Wei Chuan Dragons are fifth team to join CPBL". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  2. Shan, Shelley (25 June 2019). "CPBL welcomes back Dragons after 20 years". Retrieved 25 June 2019.
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