MLB

Play ball: Chinese pro league opener held in Taiwan before robot fans

The Chinese Professional Baseball League became the first league to play regular-season baseball in 2020 on Sunday. The game was played in Taiwan without fans in the stands.

Season begins 1 month late because of coronavirus pandemic

Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions opened the Chinese Professional Baseball League season on Sunday, defeating Chinatrust Brothers 4-1 in an 11-inning game that took four and a half hours. (Steven Lee/AFP via Getty Images)

The Chinese Professional Baseball League became the first league to play regular-season baseball in 2020 on Sunday.

The Taiwan-based league was scheduled to begin March 14, but it moved the opener to April 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Rain on Saturday pushed opening day to Sunday.

The game was played without fans in the stands. There were, however, some strategically placed robot fans, including some that beat drums to add an aura of atmosphere to the game.

Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions beat the Chinatrust Brothers 4-1 in an 11-inning game that lasted more than four and a half hours.

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