More players questioned in Taiwan baseball match-fixing scandal

Oct 30, 2008, 15:19 GMT

Taipei - Fourteen foreign and local baseball players were questioned by prosecutors in Taiwan Thursday as new evidence emerged in an investigation into alleged match-fixing by the T-Rex team.

The 14 include five foreign players. Three of them - including former US Major League baseball player Cory Bailey - have been suspended from playing indefinitely after they were questioned on October 8 and released on bail.

The five foreign players questioned by the Panchiao Prosecutors' Office Thursday were Baily (US), Leovildo Bargas (Venezuela), Willy Lebron (Dominican Republic), Napoleon Calzado (Dominican Republic) and Jose Leon (Puerto Rico).

The Panchiao Prosecutors' Office began a match-fixing probe in early October after being tipped off that that the T-Rex team had allowed a gangster ring to run the team.

Several players, coaches and staff members were questioned on October 8.

The investigation concerns matches between March 19 and September 21 between T-Rex and five other Taiwan baseball teams.

The prosecutors' office is investigating claims that T-Rex ordered its players to throw a match by asking a staff member or interpreter to wear a certain necklace, cap or wrist band.

It is alleged that to throw games a foreign pitcher was paid 8,000 US dollars while a foreign batter 5,000 US dollars. A Taiwan pitcher was paid 9,700 US dollars and a Taiwan batter 6,500 US dollars.

On Thursday, Chao Shou-po, director-general of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), reiterated CPBL's rule that a player who has been indicted or released on bail would be dismissed.

'However, CPBL will help the innocent players transfer to other teams,' he said.

The CPBL has been suspended from playing pending the outcome of the investigation.

Taiwan's six professional baseball teams all have financial problems due to low attendance at baseball matches.