这是我这两天读到最中肯的新闻了 2005-10-04 / Taiwan News, Contributing Writer / By Jason Pan Taiwan's pro baseball league suffered a tragic loss yesterday when the popular Mario Encarnacion of the Macoto Cobras was found dead yesterday morning in his room at the team's housing unit in Danshuei. The local district prosecutor and a team of forensic experts launched an investigation yesterday afternoon to ascertain the cause of death, and the coroner is scheduled to perform an autopsy tomorrow. The 30-year old outfielder from the Dominican Republic was a well-liked player by the fans and his Cobras teammates, and had made a major contribution to the the Cobras surprising success this year with 17 home runs and 45 RBIs in 66 games in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League. The Cobras discovered the tragedy after Encarnacion failed to show up for the team bus at 10 a.m. that was to take the players to the nearby Sanjhih field for a training session. After nobody responded to knocks on his door, team officials entered his room with the help of a room key provided by the building manager, and were stunned to find Encarnacion's body lying on his bed without any sign of life. "We examined the building's surveillance camera, and found nothing unusual," said Cobras general manager George Chao yesterday. According to Chao, Encarnacion went out briefly to buy something at a convenience store around 6 p.m. Sunday evening, then after returning apparently stayed in his room the rest of the night. "The surveillance camera did not show any visitor last night," Chao said. "Our team officials found Encarnacion lying alone in bed. The TV was on, and the air conditioner was on. He probably suddenly died while watching TV. The cause of death cannot be determined at this time, and we will wait for the official report on the medical examination from the district prosecutor," Chao said. The Cobras contacted Encarnacion's family in the Dominican Republic and were arranging for them to come to Taiwan. While officials made no official comments on possible causes of death, that did not stop the local media from filling in the blanks. The general consensus is that the Dominican player may have died from taking illegal banned substances, and one local media outlet reported that traces of "white foam" were evident in Encarnacion's mouth when the body was found. There were also reports of unspecified pills at his bedside, but none of the reports could be independently verified. In May, Encarnacion had tested positive for a banned substance, described as a dietary stimulant, and was suspended for two weeks. However, both he and the ballclub contested the test result, insisting that he had not been aware that an over-the-counter medicine he took to treat a cold contained a banned substance. When asked about the issue of possible substance abuse by players, CPBL officials indicated the league had enforced random drug testing of all players, and that a number of players had been suspended this season. At a press conference yesterday, CPBL Secretary-General Wayne Lee (李文彬) appealed to the media not to speculate on the cause of death, given the rumors of possible steroid use, and asked the media not to sensationalize the incident. But Lee himself indicated that Encarnacion had been suffering from a severe case of gastro-enteritis this past week, and that may have played a role in his death. For the record, Mario Encarnacion played his very last baseball game at Taipei County's Hsinchuang Stadium in a game against the Chinatrust Whales last Friday. He went 4-for-4 (one double and three singles) and scoring one run despite being weakened by diarrhea from his bout with gastro-enteritis. Very much under the weather, the Dominican standout for the Cobras did not play last Thursday, in the second game of last week's series against the Whales. In the first game of the series in Hsinchuang on Monday last week, he went 2-for-4 and blasted a shot to deep center field for a solo home run in the sixth inning to clinch the 3-1 win. It was Encarnacion's 17th homer, and his final triumphant trot around the bases. In his two final game appearances, he appeared in distress, holding his stomach in pain while sitting in the dugout. Encarnacion is fondly remembered by sports journalists and Taiwan's baseball fans for his friendly disposition, and his great sense of humor that had him share jokes and parody famous personalities. In an interview with the Taiwan News earlier this season, Encarnacion proudly pointed out that he was known as "La Bazooka" in the minor leagues, for his strong throwing arm that gunned down runners at home plate. He said he liked Taiwan very much, and enjoyed playing in the CPBL with his Dominican compatriot Wilton Veras, who helped him adjust quickly. Encarnacion said Taiwan's hot and humid was similar to conditions back home in the Dominican Republic, and suited him fine. Encarnacion played in 20 games for the Colorado Rockies in 2001 and had a brief stint the next year with the Chicago Cubs before returning to the minors. Fans will remember most his setting a CPBL record for hitting home runs in his first two at-bats in the league to opposite sides of the field against the Sinon Bulls on April 16 this year. With his 188-centimeter frame and 110-kilogram weight, Encarnacion was surprisingly mobile in patrolling center field and also quick with the bat, as he linked up with home-run threats Hsieh Jia-hsien and Veras to form the Cobras renowned "Three Big Cannons" at the core of the team's lineup. http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/Society/2005/10/04/1128390624.htm ------------------------------------------------------ Mario Encarnacion... Thanks to your impressive and touching performance... ------------------------------------------------------ --

※ 发信站: 批踢踢实业坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 59.121.192.214