Wei Chuan Dragons - Brief History

Brief History

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 4 times in 1990, 1997, 1998, and 1999, and became the team with most CPBL championships after the 1999 season ended. However, just as a Dragons Dynasty seemly to form, Wei Chuan Food Corporation announced its decision to disband this club at that time, 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
• Wei Chuan Food Corporation was absorbed by the China-based Ting Hsin International Group in 1998, and this Ting Hsin corporation did not show high interest in supporting a 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.