2026/5/29
The Los Angeles Angels "Taiwanese Heritage Night" kicked off with incredible energy! For many Taiwanese-Americans, this is like a massive annual party dedicated to Taiwan and baseball. With over 20,000 fans in attendance, thousands of Taiwanese supporters uniformly wore limited-edition "Taiwan" jerseys, filling the stadium with a spectacular sense of Taiwanese pride!
Sponsored by EVA Air, this year’s event featured exciting exhibits. TECO-LA’s Tourism and Education Divisions also set up booths to promote Taiwan travel information and bilateral exchange programs like "Learn Mandarin in Taiwan." The stadium's Rose Garden was instantly transformed into a Taiwanese cultural carnival, packed with fans lining up for info, games, raffles, and performances. Villa Park Mayor Jordan Wu and Irvine City Councilmember Melinda Lin also joined the festivities to celebrate with the community.
The climax of the event arrived when Director General Jason Ma, accompanied by Angels Executive Molly Jolly and EVA Air Executive VP of the Americas Wei-Jen Su, donned a No. 12 jersey and stepped onto the mound. Amidst the roaring cheers of the crowd, he threw a perfect fastball to officially kick off the game!
DG Ma actually played Little League baseball with his classmates 40 years ago. When asked by the media if stepping onto a Major League mound to throw the first pitch felt like a "dream come true," he smiled and answered:
"For a 10-year-old baseball boy, throwing the first pitch might be a dream come true. But today, seeing a packed stadium of American fans celebrating 'Taiwan Day' alongside thousands of passionate Taiwanese compatriots, and having so many people witness Taiwan’s culture and vitality shining on the MLB stage—for us, that is the true 'dream come true.'"
DG Ma also expressed that baseball is a shared language between the people of Taiwan and the United States. "On the diamond, we don't need translation. We all understand the spirit of 'never giving up until the final out in the ninth inning.' This is the shared passion and the shared value between U.S.-Taiwan partners."
Through the power of baseball exchanges, we hope more American friends will come to know Taiwan, and witness the passion and resilience of the Taiwanese people!
