From Weng Feng-yu to Hsu Shu-cheng, Hung Chia-en: 36 Years to Stimulate Kinmen's Baseball Atmosphere

(CNA, Taipei, July 1, 2026) Kinmen natives Hsu Shu-cheng and Hung Chia-en were drafted in the CPBL draft, a moment that took 36 years to arrive. Coach Huang Kuo-wei said he was so moved he almost cried, stating that promoting baseball in Kinmen is not easy and hoping it will inspire more children to participate in baseball and allow more Kinmen players to reach the professional league stage.

Pitcher Weng Feng-yu was a founding member of the Mercuries Tigers and the first professional baseball player from Kinmen. However, after 1990, it wasn't until 2026 that another player from Kinmen was selected. In this year's draft, the CTBC Brothers selected shortstop Hsu Shu-cheng in the first round, making him the first Kinmen-born position player to join the CPBL. The Wei Chuan Dragons then selected pitcher Hung Chia-en in the ninth round, who is the first player in history to have played baseball at all three levels (Little League, Junior High, and Senior High) in Kinmen and is expected to successfully join the CPBL.

Kinmen has no dedicated baseball coaches; the sport is promoted through the efforts of coaches who are passionate about baseball. Coach Huang Kuo-wei jokingly calls his main job baseball coaching and his side job being a firefighter at the airport. Huang Kuo-wei began promoting baseball in Kinmen around 2006. In an interview with CNA, he said that the moment he saw the names of two Kinmen-born players selected, "I was so moved that I almost cried tears of joy."

During its peak in the 1970s, Kinmen had 16 Little League teams and 5 Junior High teams. Currently, there are only 2 Little League teams, 1 Junior High team, and 1 Senior High team. Pitcher Hung Chia-en is a graduating student from Kinmen Agricultural and Industrial Vocational High School.

Huang Kuo-wei frankly stated that promoting baseball in Kinmen is very difficult. Promising players with outstanding physical conditions are often recruited by other sports like basketball, badminton, and track and field. For example, Hsu Shu-cheng, who is 186 cm tall, initially participated in taekwondo and badminton before finally deciding to play baseball. During this time, a basketball team also tried to recruit him.

Limited player pool, talent drain, lack of dedicated baseball coaches, and financial constraints are all issues. Kinmen has few regional competitions, but training is arduous, making it easy for players to give up or avoid the sport due to frustration or a lack of sense of accomplishment. Huang Kuo-wei admitted that there have been many difficulties along the way, and coupled with some players' attitudes, he has felt physically and mentally exhausted.

Regarding the results of the CPBL draft on June 29th, with two Kinmen players being selected by professional baseball teams simultaneously, Huang Kuo-wei laughed and said it was a major event in Kinmen, with one player's parents even setting off firecrackers out of happiness, "feeling that 20 years of effort were all worth it."

It took 36 years to go from the first Kinmen player to the second and third. Huang Kuo-wei hopes that the next one won't take so long. He hopes that the examples of Hsu Shu-cheng and Hung Chia-en will stimulate more Kinmen children's interest in baseball and their willingness to dedicate themselves to baseball training, thereby reviving the baseball atmosphere. He also wants them to know that as long as they have the ability, they have the opportunity to be seen. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150701

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