Lin Chin-Tse became the standout player for China Taipei in the Little League World Series (LLWS) final against Nevada. The pitcher played a strong game over five innings, giving his team a 7-0 victory, though some fans found his performance controversial.
The final against Nevada was just a showcase of Chin-Tse’s ability. He didn’t allow a run in five innings, allowed just one hit, and only one batter, Garrett Gallegos, reached base against him during that stretch. The problem: his fastball is too fast.
The Chinese Taipei pitcher’s fastball reaches up to 82 mph; by comparison, the fastest pitcher in MLB can reach up to 103 mph. Furthermore, the LLWS mound is only 46 feet from home plate, compared to 60 feet 6 inches in the major leagues. That’s why fans are calling out Chin-Tse.
Fans against Chin-Tse
The Chinese Taipei phenomenon’s performance had already drawn attention throughout the tournament’s international bracket; however, the way he demolished Nevada in the final led several fans to express their discontent on social media.
“This Chinese Taipei pitcher throws gas. It’s unfair,” complained one fan. “Their pitcher is 6’1″ and throws the equivalent of a 100 mph fastball. Let’s see his real birth certificate,” added another. However, it should be noted that the tournament has registered Chin-Tse as 5’8″ tall and 12 years old, as established by the LLWS rules.
A more moderate netizen wrote, “This Chinese pitcher in the LLWS is too talented.” Another lamented the fate of the Nevada team: “It was a nice run for Nevada in the LLWS, but you aren’t gonna beat a 12-year-old from Chinese Taipei throwing 80 mph from a 45-foot pitcher’s mound.”
The media also has its suspicions.
Writers like Andrew Holleran of The Spun and Drew Smith of The Liberty Line have also expressed doubts about Lin Chin-Tse’s age. “It’s like if Nolan Ryan and Shohei Ohtani had a kid and sent him straight to middle school with a fake birth certificate,” Smith wrote, for example.
But as the U.S. media joined the raging crowd, Chinese Taipei claimed its 18th LLWS title, and its first since 1996, thanks to the cannon in Chin-Tse’s arm, and they celebrated loudly on the Williamsport field, just as the occasion warranted.
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