(L-R): Akihiro “Ike” Ikuhara, Assistant to Dodger President Peter O’Malley; Peter O’Malley; and Pan-Pan “P.P.” Tang, first Baseball Commissioner in Taiwan. O’Malley meets on November 2, 1989 with Tang in Taipei, Taiwan to discuss how to promote the opening of the newly-formed, four-team Chinese Professional Baseball League in March, 1990.
Biography
P.P. Tang
P.P. Tang, the first Baseball Commissioner in Taiwan, presented this figurine of a pitcher to Dodger President Peter O’Malley in appreciation for O’Malley’s assistance with the start-up Chinese Professional Baseball League in 1989.
P.P. Tang became the first Baseball Commissioner of Taiwan when the professional league began in 1990 with four teams. Peter O’Malley was invited by Pan-Pan (P.P.) Tang to throw the ceremonial first pitch of the inaugural season at Taipei Baseball Stadium on March 17, 1990, as the Uni-President Lions defeated the Brother Elephants, 4-3. After nearly two years of planning, the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) was founded on October 23rd, 1989. Besides Tang, one of the key leaders was Hung Tung-Sheng, who was owner of Brother Hotel, Inc. and owner of the Brother Elephants, one of four initial teams, including Wei Chuan Dragons, the Uni-President Lions and the Mercuries Tigers. Peter and his assistant Akihiro “Ike” Ikuhara visited with Tang and other officials in Taiwan during a three-day trip November 2-4, 1989 about how to promote the newly-formed CPBL.
(L-R): P.P. Tang, Commissioner, Chinese Professional Baseball League, Taiwan; Dodger President Peter O’Malley; internationally-renowned artist LeRoy Neiman. O’Malley shows Tang the original commissioned Dodger painting by Neiman on April 9, 1990, Opening Day at Dodger Stadium, which launched the Dodgers’ 100th Anniversary celebration. Neiman perfectly captured 100 years of Dodger history. Tang was in Los Angeles to meet with O’Malley and visit Dodger Stadium.
Peter invited Tang to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to meet with him and visit during the Dodgers’ Opening Day game, April 9, 1990. In 1993, the Dodgers under Peter’s presidency went on a postseason Friendship Series to Taiwan for three games and then to Japan for two games. The Dodgers were the first Major League Baseball team to visit Taiwan, playing three games against the Chinese Professional Baseball League All-Stars in Taipei. In 1996, the Dodgers established a working relationship with the professional Sinon Bulls. In 1997, the Sinon Bulls of the CPBL became the first team from Taiwan to train in Latin America when they visited Campo Las Palmas, the Dodgers’ academy in the Dominican Republic, which was created and privately built by Peter in 1987. In appreciation, Tang presented Peter with a red horse ceramic statue. The Bulls once again returned to Campo in 1998.