Monkeys First and Second Teams Both in Taoyuan; Tseng Hao-chu: Attracting Fans to Follow Young Players
The CPBL Rakuten Monkeys relocated their farm team back to Taoyuan. Manager Tseng Hao-chu believes this move facilitates closer monitoring of young talent and encourages fans to support minor league players.
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- 📰 Published: April 26, 2026 at 18:39
- 🔍 Collected: April 26, 2026 at 19:01 (22 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 27, 2026 at 02:37 (7h 35m after Collected)
(Central News Agency, Reporter Hsieh Ching-wen, Taoyuan, 26th) The CPBL Rakuten Monkeys team has moved its second team back to Taoyuan. Manager Tseng Hao-chu has gone to the adjacent second team field to observe players before the first team games over the past two days. He stated that this not only makes it convenient for the coaching staff to understand the players' conditions up close, but also attracts more fans to pay attention to the young players on the second team.
This season, the Monkeys moved their second team's home base from Chiayi to Taoyuan, allowing the first and second teams to train in the same environment and facilities. They hope to promote close communication between the players and the coaching staff and allow the coaches to master the players' conditions more meticulously.
The Monkeys' first team had home games at the Rakuten Taoyuan Baseball Stadium on the 25th and 26th, while the second team played at the adjacent Qingpu Baseball Stadium. Over these two days, Manager Tseng Hao-chu went to the Qingpu stadium to watch about three innings of the second team's games before his own.
Tseng Hao-chu said that by observing the players up close, someone performing well might have a chance to be called up to the first team. Sometimes the statistics look good, but the quality of contact is poor, which creates a gap in evaluation.
When asked if using quite a few rookies this year is related to the second team moving back to Taoyuan for easier observation, Tseng acknowledged it is indeed the case. Once good form is observed, they get a chance in the first team. They are then monitored for their adaptation to first-team intensity and adjusted if there's a gap. Furthermore, players who haven't played in the first team for a long time can be scheduled to play next door in the second team to maintain their game sense.
Tseng also mentioned that he recalls during the Lamigo Monkeys era (predecessor to Rakuten Monkeys), there were 1 or 2 years where both teams were in Taoyuan. Having the first and second teams together allows for resource sharing. Besides making it easier for coaches to monitor players, when there's a first-team game at home, it can also attract fans to watch the second team playing next door. It feels different for second-team players when fans are watching and cheering for them.
This season, the Monkeys moved their second team's home base from Chiayi to Taoyuan, allowing the first and second teams to train in the same environment and facilities. They hope to promote close communication between the players and the coaching staff and allow the coaches to master the players' conditions more meticulously.
The Monkeys' first team had home games at the Rakuten Taoyuan Baseball Stadium on the 25th and 26th, while the second team played at the adjacent Qingpu Baseball Stadium. Over these two days, Manager Tseng Hao-chu went to the Qingpu stadium to watch about three innings of the second team's games before his own.
Tseng Hao-chu said that by observing the players up close, someone performing well might have a chance to be called up to the first team. Sometimes the statistics look good, but the quality of contact is poor, which creates a gap in evaluation.
When asked if using quite a few rookies this year is related to the second team moving back to Taoyuan for easier observation, Tseng acknowledged it is indeed the case. Once good form is observed, they get a chance in the first team. They are then monitored for their adaptation to first-team intensity and adjusted if there's a gap. Furthermore, players who haven't played in the first team for a long time can be scheduled to play next door in the second team to maintain their game sense.
Tseng also mentioned that he recalls during the Lamigo Monkeys era (predecessor to Rakuten Monkeys), there were 1 or 2 years where both teams were in Taoyuan. Having the first and second teams together allows for resource sharing. Besides making it easier for coaches to monitor players, when there's a first-team game at home, it can also attract fans to watch the second team playing next door. It feels different for second-team players when fans are watching and cheering for them.