What can a baseball do?

There are some Taiwanese playing in Major League Baseball: Chin-Feng Chen in Dodgers from 2002-2005, Chin-Lung Hu in Dodgers, Hong-Chih Kuo in Dodgers, Chin-Hui Tsao in Royals, and Chien-Ming Wang in Yankees. Although they are loved by Taiwanese, these baseball stars are not the focus of this article. Here are stories about how baseballs change the life of challenged people and students in remote elementary schools.

The first story starts when a screen writer, an actor, and a director, Nien-Jen Wu left a message in Haomei's blog about Sacred Heart Home for the challenged people. Fr. Franz Burkhardt founded Sacred Heart Home in Chia-Yi, Taiwan, in 1980, and he planned to build a larger building to help more challenged people. Although the Reverend Franz Burkhardt, a recipient of presidential and papal honors for his services to Taiwan over almost half a century, died in 2002, his colleagues continue to work on this plan. Due to the funding shortage, Haomei started to blog about Sacred Heart Home and helps raise money and invite people to visit Sacred Heart Home.

An episode for these fund-raising activities is about baseballs.

Chensumi talked about how Tai-Yuan Kuo signed baseballs for a fund-raising auction:
我跟郭泰源總教練提到聖心募款的事情，他聽得很仔細，也很豪爽答應簽名[...]我在一旁小心打探，「多簽一些可以嗎？」[...]郭總說，「可以啊，愛心的事情，當然沒問題！」

I mentioned fund-raising for Sacred Heart Home to Tai-Yuan Kuo. He listened carefully and agreed to sign some baseballs without hesitance.[...] I asked him, “can you sign more?” He answered, “sure. There is no problem when doing good things.”

This auction raised 182100 NTD for Sacred Heart Home, and this success inspired some baseball lovers to contribute their baseball-related souvenirs to the second auction. The second auction raised 281861 NTD for Sacred Heart Home. The result is not only satisfactory for Sacred Heart Home but also for the baseball players and lovers--

以前只要提到金錢和棒球掛勾，大家都會想到簽賭，沒想到這次金錢跟棒球掛勾，居然成就這麼動人的好事。

In the past, when we talked about how baseball is related to money, we thought about gambling. However, this time when baseball works for money, we have accomplished something so touching.

The second story is about helping some baseball teams in remote elementary schools. Chensumi reported:

堅果團購夢想計畫已經募到新台幣72000元。[...]我們也將委請藍文成教練幫忙遴選最需要幫助的球隊，在賽後這段期間，儘快將球具送達學校，給那些有夢想的棒球孩子，充滿溫暖的禮物。同時感謝球魂網站好友林言熹與楊榮健的協助，取得球具配備最划算合理的估價單。[...]預估我們所募得的金額，將有機會補助三支以上的偏遠部落少棒隊。

Chien-Kuo Group's plan has raised 72000 NTD.[...] We will ask couch Wen-Cheng Lan to help us choose some baseball teams that need our attention most. After this baseball game, we will send the equipments as a pleasant present to the elementary schools for the young players who pursue their baseball dream. We also thank our friends Yen-Hsi Lin and Jung-Chien Yang's help so we can get the most reasonable assessment for these equipments. The fund we raised should be able to help more than three baseball teams in the remote elementary schools.

Chien-Kuo Group's plan is based on the love for the children and baseball:

我們也許讓未來有機會站上大聯盟投手丘與打擊區的小孩們，未來要扛下國家隊第四棒或職棒中心打線的小選手們，可以有新手套，可以不必擔心練習用球不見，同時 讓他們知道，這段辛苦的棒球路，不是那麼寂寞，因為我們相信，在棒球起步的階段，曾經受過幫助的人，會一輩子都懂得感恩，不會愧對棒球之神賦予他們的使命。」

We can help these children, who may stand on the MLB field or play in the national or professional baseball teams, have new mitts and not worry about losing the practice baseballs. At the same time, they would know they are not alone. We believe that if they receive help in the beginning of their career, they will be grateful for the potential they have when they play baseball.

Redyellow described what they saw when sending the equipments to one of the elementary schools:

這 一天我回來後，心底帶著暖暖的滿足。意外變成先發登板的我，帶著大家的愛心來到汐止國小，看著天真活潑的小球員，心裏彷彿被純淨的水流洗淨一般。到底是我 幫助了他們，還是他們幫助了我，讓我找回心中久違的感動。[...]替這些勇敢追夢的孩子們吶 喊加油吧！因為這也是為我們自己加油啊！
終於我覺得自己是個棒球迷了。但是今天不當球迷。

Today I came home with warm satisfaction in my mind. I became the first one sending our love to Hsi-Chih elementary school by accident. When I saw these lovely lively young players, my heart seems to be washed by clean water. It may look like I help them. However, they help me to find the touching feeling I have lost for a long time. [...]Let's cheer for these brave children when they pursue their dream! By doing it we also cheer for ourselves! Finally I feel I am a baseball fan, but I am not a baseball fan today.

Taiwan: one world, one dream?

When China holds the 2008 Olympic Game and said “one world, one dream,” what do we expect for this dream?

Schumann explained the origin of the Olympic torch:

古代希臘人在奧運舉辦前,會按宗教儀式,在奧林匹亞宙斯神廟前的祭壇上點燃火種， [...]火炬手高舉火炬,一邊奔跑,一邊呼喊：停止一切戰爭,參加運動會。
火炬傳到哪，哪的戰火就熄滅了。[...]人們忘記了仇恨,忘記了戰爭,都奔向奧林匹亞參加奧林匹克運動會。
久而久之，火炬這個本來用來傳遞信號的工具，便成了和平、光明與友誼的象征。

Before an ancient Olympic Game, ancient Greek people ignited a torch before Temple of Olympian Zeus.[...] The torch holder would run and shout, 'stop wars to join the Olympics!' Where the torch went, where the war stopped.[...] Greek people went to the Olympic Game, and they forgot hatred and war. As a result, torch, which is a tool for sending signals, becomes a symbol for peace, light, and friendship.

However, Schumann said,

原本具有神聖意義的奧運聖火,卻被中國搞得像過街老鼠,
中國, 污辱了聖火。

This blessed Olympic torch becomes hated by so many people because of China. China stigmatizes the Olympic torch.

Many Taiwanese discuss if we should boycott the Olympic torch due to China government's records of repressing human right. AW talked what is the goal for China government to hold the Olympic Game：

舉辦奧運變成了中共向全世界展示其「合法性」[...]當奧運場上人們盡情歡呼的時候，在中共黑暗的監獄裡，可能良心犯們正在被折磨得痛苦的呻吟；當西方政要在開幕式上給予中共足夠面子用來貼金的時候，中共正下定決心一定要把共產黨獨裁專制永遠延續下去。

China government tries to show its legal status (to be in power) by holding the Olympic Game. When people cheer in the athletic field, the human right activists may be tortured in the prisons. When the significant western figures show their respect for China government in the opening ceremony, the Communist Party of China is deciding to rule China forever.

Door and window discussed who should take the responsibility for letting the Olympic torch be tarnished?

世界各國的領袖.....才是讓聖火蒙塵的主因.....
平日以民主自傲的國家那去了???
以自由為榮的國家哪去了???
自稱世界警察的傢伙呢....是癱瘓了嗎???
也好....讓全世界看清楚....
道德的糖衣....在強權面前....全都瓦解殆盡....

The leaders of all the countries should take the responsibility for letting the torch be tarnished.
Where are the countries proud to be democratic?
Where are the countries proud to be free?
Where are the countries called as world police? Are they paralyzed?
That's fine. We can see how their clothe of morality diminishes before powerful autocracy.

doctor61 is surprised by how this Olympic torch is being relayed:

一個國家辦奧運，搞到要動員海外學生華人保護聖火，甚至由中國主動派安全人員出國保護，實在也是創舉了。

It is the first time that the country that holds an Olympic Game needs to mobilize oversea Chinese and their “safe guards” to “protect” the Olympic torch.

On the other hand, many people are surprised by how people supporting Tibet can evoke the boycott of the Olympic torch. forumvisitor commented,

圖博人在海外的人數應該沒台灣人數多，可是他們能爭取到的國際友人的聲援能量, 我自己覺得真的很驚人。我覺得我們要好好學習, 至少要盡量幫忙保護這個可能的盟友。

I am surprised by the support Tibetans get from foreigners, especially when the oversea Tibetans should not be more than oversea Taiwanese. I think we should learn from the Tibetans and protect these friends.

Door and window supported the boycott:

奧運聖火的繞境...幾天看下來...
真的有不少感慨.....
中國鎮壓西藏的當時....抵制聖火的言論根本聽不到.....
新加坡甚至....變相支持...挖勒...
但....幸好正義沒有完全消失....
支持人權的民眾站出來之後....
各國也紛紛表態不參加開幕式.....
唉.....人民若不以行動發聲.....就真的沒聲音了......

I sighed while watching the torch relay for days.
When China government was repressing Tibet, we did not hear a thing about boycotting the Olympic torch.
Singapore was even supporting China government's action. Sigh.
However, justice does not disappear after all.
After people supporting human right come forward, many leaders said they will not go to Olympic opening ceremony.
Sigh. If we do not voice through our action, there is no voice.

mobobeijing2008 thought Taiwan should join the boycott:

台灣長期遭受中國武力的威嚇[...]在2008北京奧運舉辦之前，大家應掌握這個關鍵時刻，共同參與跨國界的抵制行動[...]呼籲中國，不應「右手舉聖火、左手抓飛彈」[...]而應該公開承諾，放棄以武力解 決台灣問題。

Taiwan has been threaten by China's armed force. We should grasp this critical moment to join the cross-border boycott activity and ask China not to hold the Olympic torch with its right hand and hold the missiles with its left hand. [...] China should promise that they will give up armed force when they face Taiwan's issue.

When the boycott becomes a serious matter to China, China government asks people not to mix politics and athletics. However, this request is not sold well.

johnnio said,

中國過去有幾年都因為政治問題不參加奧運，現在反而喊很大聲，要政治歸政治，體育歸體育。中國人的雙重標準果然博大精深 。

China did not join some past Olympic Games due to political issues, but now it tells us that don't mix politics and athletics. This double standard is hard to understand.

no justice argued,

政治歸政治？ 那台灣要加入世界衛生組織, 非政治機構, 他們在哭夭什麼？

Politics is politics? When Taiwan tries to join World Health Organization, which is not a political organization, why do they block us?

Boycott of Olympics 2008 is not only a politic issue. It is about what dream people all over the world want to share with each other.