MLB All-Stars to Play Exhibition Series in Taiwan This Week

Are you ready for some baseball?

The St. Louis Cardinals may have won the 2011 World Series just three days ago, but Major League Baseball is wasting no time in continuing play—in Taiwan, that is.

MLB has announced that some of the league's All-Star players and coaches have arrived in Taiwan for a week-long series meant to promote MLB overseas. Led by marquee players Robinson Cano, Ryan Roberts and Curtis Granderson, the so-called MLB All-Star team will take on their counterparts from Chinese Taipei in a series of five exhibition contests.

As Major Leaguers LaTroy Hawkins, Andres Torres and others took part in the native tradition of drinking Taiwanese snake blood Monday night, many curious and excited baseball fans gathered around the Huaxi Street Night Market to get a glimpse of these MLB All-Stars.

MLB Asia Vice President Jim Small might have said it best, "It’s an honor for us to be here...Baseball is such an important culture in Taiwan."

Giants manager Bruce Bochy will serve as skipper for the MLB team, which will play its first game on Tuesday, Nov. 1. MLB last visited Taiwan during 2010's spring training, when the Los Angeles Dodgers played only two of their intended four games in heavy rain.

There is no rain in the forecast this week, which should allow all scheduled games to go off without a hitch.

Refer to the following list for game times and locations. All times are Eastern and all games are scheduled to air on the MLB Network.

• Game 1: Tuesday, Nov. 1, 9 p.m., XinZhaung Stadium, New Taipei City
• Game 2: Thursday, Nov. 3, 9 p.m., Intercontinental Stadium, Taichung
• Game 3: Friday, Nov. 4, 9 p.m., Intercontinental Stadium, Taichung
• Game 4: Saturday, Nov. 5, 5 p.m., Chengcing Lake Stadium, Kaohsiung
• Game 5: Sunday, Nov. 6, 9 p.m., Chengcing Lake Stadium, Kaohsiung