Far East Goes The Distance

Three years after officials took the Little League World Series title away from the Philippines for using ineligible players, the Far East is dominant again.

Taiwan won its 16th Little League championship Saturday, beating Spring, Texas, 17-3 in the second-most lopsided final. The team from Tainan, a city of about 200,000, may have gone on to break the record of 21 runs scored by another Taiwan club in 1987, but the game was called after four innings because Little League introduced a 10-run mercy rule this season.

“All you can really say is ‘Wow!”’ said manager Don Turley of Spring, a suburb of Houston. “That is the most awesome Little League team in the world bar none.”

Chih Hsiang Lin threw a four-hitter and had two homers, including his sixth of the series to break a 24-year-old record.

Shortstop Chia Ming Cheng hit Wardell Starling’s third pitch over the left-field fence to lead off and Lin hit a two-run homer later in the first to make it 3-0.

“I think I came out flat and struggled,” said Starling, who was in the infirmary with a 100-degree temperature Friday. “We were the best in the United States, what more could you ask for?”

Starling got a small ounce of revenge in the fourth inning during Spring’s only rally. Christopher Conway and Michael Cepeda singled, and Conway stole home to make it 17-1. Starling then hit a 250-foot home run to center.

The three runs were the most scored against Taiwan since its national tournament.

Taiwan’s last title came in 1991, the year before the Philippines forfeited. After that, Little League began more strictly enforcing rules regarding overage players and restricting the size of the pool of players that a team could be chosen from.

Taiwan and three other countries were banned in 1993 and an uncharacteristically sloppy Taiwan team went 1-2 in the series last year.”Now the pressure is not as great on the kids.”

Taiwan holds the record for largest margin of victory in a final with a 21-1.