Taiwan CPBL Star On Life Under The Covid-19 Cloud

Mitch Lively is one of the most popular pitchers in professional baseball in Taiwan. As a star of the Brother Elephants pitching line-up – Taiwan’s most popular team – he is a household name in baseball circles across the country.

Fortunately, he was able to give us a little of his time to answer some questions.

Have the recent clampdowns on movement affected you personally?

The recent clampdowns have only affected me with regards to the start of the season; pushing the season’s opening day back for the teams and for the fans.

I think this is best all round to ensure there isn’t a breakout (of COVID-19) throughout the league. If there was, then they would suspend the season just as they did for the NBA

What particular annoyances have you felt?

For now I haven’t felt any special annoyances. I think Taiwan is doing an amazing job with the way they have handled, and continue to handle this situation.

I really feel safe when I walk into any store and see them checking temperatures and spraying hands. I also like the use of the infrared camera on the MRT and at hospitals.

How are you spending your time of late? Living normally, or on the edge?

I am trying to live as normal life as I can given the situation. I am also being very cautious about washing my hands, wearing masks, and not trying to take as many pictures as previously with fans.

That is the hard part. I really appreciate my fans, and want to take pictures with them when they approach and ask.

I do still let them take their pictures with me, but just maintain some space. This is out of respect for my fans as well as myself. Right now though, I am not shaking hands.

How are your family coping back in the US?

While I feel very safe and lucky to be in Taiwan during this pandemic, I do worry for my wife and son who are in the US, in California.

This is because the US waited too long to take action on this COVID-19 issue. That said, I know my family at home is also taking this pandemic very seriously, and are quarantining themselves at home.

For fans of Taiwanese baseball – a longer interview with Mitch carried out during the 2019, season can be found here.

Mark Buckton

Mark is a journalism vet of 20 years with most of those years spent in Tokyo, Japan, as a columnist for The Japan Times and numerous other publications. His work has appeared on CNN, in the BBC, NPR, and in several dozen other media forms and publications across five continents.