First Game Starts on March 8 in Taichung 棒球經典賽A組預賽 3/8台中洲際球場開打

The World Baseball Classic is about to start, and Group A preliminaries will be held at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium from March 8 to 12. Baseball Players from the Netherlands, Panama, and Italian teams arrived in Taiwan on the 3rd, as fans enthusiastically welcomed them.
 

“Welcome to Taiwan. Thank you. ”The arrival hall of Taoyuan Airport's second terminal was crowded with a large number of fans. Some even slept at the airport the night before. On the morning of the 3rd, teams from the Netherlands, Panama, and Italy arrived in Taiwan one after another, and the fans warmly welcomed them.

Baseball Fan: “I think the Dutch team is the strongest in this group. (Which star are you here to see?) Xander Bogaerts. (When did you come to the airport?) Last night.”

Baseball Fan: “I'm here to see Mike Piazza, who was my childhood idol. He is the most iconic offensive catcher in the major leagues. 427 career home runs, the most of all catchers.”

From getting off the plane to entering the country, fans kept approaching the players for photos, which the star players almost never refused. Some fans especially prepared baseball cards, baseballs, and other mementos, hoping to get autographs from their idols. Former Braves player Andruw Jones, a coach on the Dutch team, also felt the fans' enthusiasm. He patiently signed every baseball handed to him by the fans.

Baseball Fan: “He used to be with the Braves. There's a chance he'll be in the Hall of Fame in the future. And now he is a Dutch coach? Yes.”

The 2023 World Baseball Classic Group A preliminaries will be played at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium from the 8th to the 12th. Other Italian, Panamanian, and Cuban players arrived in Taiwan in the evening. 

桃園機場第2航廈入境大廳，擠滿了大批接機球迷，有的甚至是前一天晚上就睡在機場。3日早上包括荷蘭、巴拿馬、義大利球隊，陸續飛抵台灣，球迷熱情迎接。

接機球迷說：「看荷蘭隊，算這組最強的。」表示自己昨天晚上就到機場，想見到球星Xander Bogaerts。

也有接機球迷說：「接Piazza的機，他是我小時候的偶像。他是大聯盟最具代表性的攻擊型捕手，生涯打出427支全壘打，這是所有捕手最多的。」

從下機到入境過程，不斷有球迷上前要求合照，球星們也幾乎來者不拒；還有球迷特別準備球員卡、棒球等，希望能跟偶像要到簽名。荷蘭隊教練、前美國職棒勇士隊球員Andruw Jones，也感受到球迷熱情，耐心地簽完每一顆球迷遞上的棒球。

接機球迷指出：「他以前勇士隊的，然後未來有機會進入名人堂。」

2023年世界棒球經典賽A組預賽，8日到12日將在台中洲際棒球場開打。部分義大利、巴拿馬隊員，以及古巴隊，也將在晚上陸續抵台。