From the “Taiwan Yankees” to the New York Yankees: The Glocal Narratives of Baseball

Abstract

This study examines both the general narratives of baseball in Taiwan and particularly New York Yankees-related narratives since Taiwanese player Chien-ming Wang joined the team in 2005. By reviewing newspaper coverage and TV ratings data, I argue that a nationalistic perspective was the undertone in the Taiwanese mass media; indeed, the media could define the Yankees as Taiwan’s vicarious national team or the “Evil Empire”, depending on Wang’s current relationship with the Yankees. However, with Wang’s departure from the Yankees, the Yankees have been removed from Taiwan’s nationalistic narratives and returned to being New York’s team. The idea of athletes connecting their homeland and the nation hosting the professional team seemed common and straightforward. However, as the relationship between athletes and their teams change, team-related national narratives can also change.