By KHT Staff
KAOHSIUNG — What began as one of CPBL’s more heated on-field confrontations has now turned into marketing gold.
Back on September 5, 2020, during a Uni-President Lions vs. Rakuten Monkeys game in Taoyuan, batter Kuo Fu-lin (郭阜林) was hit by a pitch three times. The third came in extra innings from pitcher Huang Tzu-peng (黃子鵬), triggering a bench-clearing standoff after Kuo tossed his bat and waved Huang forward.
Fast-forward to this offseason, and Huang has joined the TSG Hawks (台鋼雄鷹) via free agency — suddenly making the former rivals teammates.
The club originally planned to have Kuo appear at Huang’s introductory press conference, but family matters kept him away. Instead, Kuo sent a playful video message: “I haven’t gotten my revenge yet, and you’re already here. Don’t hit me during spring training.”
Kuo said the incident is long behind them, joking that he’s still “the senior.” Huang added that the two had already been messaging on Instagram, preparing for the inevitable questions.
TSG’s marketing team leaned into the moment, unveiling humorous merchandise at the press event — including towels printed with phrases like “Come on!” and “Here it comes!” alongside raccoon and tiger graphics, delighting fans.
Reporting via Liberty Times.
