April 4-10, 2011
Headline News
Acquitted baseball star thanks home church and fellow Christians
Reported by Sam Lee
Written by Lydia Ma
Former La New Bears professional baseball player Chen Feng-min who was previously accused of accepting bribes and game-fixing along with other fellow players was acquitted on March 30, 2011, at a Superior Court. Chen, a member of Tainan Edward Band Presbyterian Church, said his next challenge is to fight for his right to return to the field.
Chen, who had maintained his innocence throughout the trial, said he was especially grateful to Taiwan Church Press’ President Rev. Joseph Chen and many other Christians who had prayed for him and supported him during this lengthy ordeal.
In an interview with Taiwan Church News, Chen said it was disappointing and maddening to be labeled a criminal these past few months before his trial began. As a Christian, he especially regretted that the title “Christian” had been tarnished when he was innocent all along.
“Only Christians supported and encouraged me when everybody else abandoned me,” Chen said. He explained that after a controversial game-fixing rumor was confirmed, prosecutors used another defendant’s confession to implicate him. Before he was proven innocent, his friends disserted him for fear of being implicated by association and he was barred from playing professionally.
By God’s grace, his friends at Edward Band Presbyterian Church in Tainan and his former pastor Rev. Joseph Chen remained by his side and encouraged him. They were his greatest source of support as he fought to clear his name and they demonstrated that Christians attuned to God see things differently than the rest of the world.
With his name now cleared, Chen hopes to contact Chinese Professional Baseball League and Pro-Baseball Player Union to assert his right to work. He hopes to return to the field either as a player or as a coach.
