從謝國城感激及慚愧的眼淚－論述1929－1969年臺灣少棒發展概況

1969年台中金龍少棒隊在美國威廉波特世界少棒賽為台灣贏得第一座世界少棒冠軍，當時領隊謝國城及球員開心的哭成一團。一名長期駐美記者續伯雄就把現場氛圍記錄了下來，並提及「我明白謝國城的眼淚裡，『感激』與『慚愧』的成分，多過『高興』與『驕傲』的成分」。續伯雄特別為自己所寫的「慚愧」下了注解：「我們未能早20年或早50年使優秀的中華少年在世界上揚眉吐氣，已屬汗顏，今天我們竟靦腆得要分享孩子們為國家爭得的這份光榮，豈無慚愧之感」。此次研究目的就是來分析台灣三級學生棒球發展是否如續伯雄所言，未能早20年或更提早50年，讓優秀中華少棒健兒揚眉吐氣。此研究採歷史研究法及訪談法，訪談當時參與第一代金龍少棒隊協助組訓行政工作林敏政、魏來長、謝南強等人，並蒐集相關史料加以分析，得到以下結果：一、棒球協會在1968年前邀請來台進行交流的外國隊伍是以成人棒球隊伍為主。二、1968年日本關西和歌山少棒隊來台，是由獅子會率先牽線促成，並非是棒協計劃中工作事項。三、棒協謝國城在1969年在中、日少年棒球邀請賽失利後，當機立斷就組訓工作進行改組及強化，得以掌握住契機擊敗日本少棒隊獲得太平洋區代表權，進而為台灣獲得第一座世界少棒冠軍，讓台灣三級學生棒球得以蓬勃發展。

關鍵字

金龍少棒隊；謝國城

並列摘要

When the Golden Dragon little-league baseball team won the Little League World Series in Williamsport, United States in 1969, the first in Taiwanese baseball history, coach and player alike embraced and wept with joy. Long-time US correspondent Hsu, Po-Hsiung noted, "Inside Coach Hsieh, Kuo-Cheng's tears, gratitude and guilt overwhelmed ecstasy and honor." He further explained what he indicated by the word "guilt", "It was the incompetency of our administration team that we could not take our little leagues to the top of the world twenty, even fifty years earlier, and yet today, we stand here celebrating the glory of the accomplishments of the children; how could we not be ashamed and filled with guilt?" This study uses the historical research method and interviews multiple staff that participated in the first reform of the Golden Dragon little-league baseball team to understand whether the statement made by Hsu, that it was the incompetency of the administration team that obstructed the development of the little leagues, hold true. The following are the findings. First, before 1968, foreign baseballs teams invited to Taiwan for exchange were mostly adults and senior teams. Second, when Japanese teams from Kansai and Wakayama visited Taiwan in 1968, it was in fact the decision and negotiations of Lions Clubs International Taiwan, not the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association. Third, it was the decisive and immediate actions made by Hsieh, Kuo-Cheng in 1969 to reform the association's administration after the loss to Japan in an exhibition match that led to the later victory to clinch the representation of the Pacific in the qualifying game for the little league world series in Tokyo, and eventually the World Championship. These were all major factors that led to the thriving development of the 1930s teen baseball.