Taiwan's CPBL terminates American pitcher's contract for sex offense

台灣的中職大聯盟終止了美國性侵犯投手合約

Minutes after Lamigo Monkeys announce signing alleged child molester, CPBL terminates contract


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Less than 24 hours after being signed by Taoyuan's Lamigo Monkeys, an American pitcher had his contract canceled by the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), after it was revealed that the man had plead guilty to molesting a child when he was 15.

At 3 p.m. yesterday (Aug. 7), the Lamigo Monkeys announced on Facebook that they had signed 22-year-old Oregon State star pitcher Luke Heimlich to initially play for their minor league team, however news soon surfaced from U.S. media outlets that he had pleaded guilty to molesting his 6-year-old niece when he was 15. Heimlich insists that he is innocent, but he claims that he pleaded guilty to "quickly dispense with the case and for the sake of family relations," reported the New York Times.

The CPBL quickly stepped in and said that it would not approve Heimlich's contract, would demand the Lamigo Monkeys terminate his contract and has a "zero tolerance policy on players with criminal history," according to a tweet posted on CPBL STATS at 3:46 p.m. yesterday.

According to the #CPBL official, the league have decided not to approve Luke Heimlich's contract.

The league also demand the #Lamigo Monkeys to terminate Heimlich's contract immediately.

The CPBL have a zero tolerance policy on players with criminal history. https://t.co/3gRO0Te9Dj
— CPBL STATS (@GOCPBL) 2018年8月7日


Article 94 of the CPBL's regulations on management states: "A foreign team member who has committed a crime, a major breach of discipline, gambling, fighting or other unlawful acts affecting the healthy image of the workplace, must immediately be terminated by the league."

Heimlich posted a record of 36-13 and a 2.49 ERA in college and was the 2018 National Pitcher of the year for the NCAA champion Oregon State Beavers, but he was passed over in the 2017 and 2018 Major League Baseball drafts due to the news of his sex offense.

Prior to the offer by the Lamigo Monkeys, the Kansas City Royals had considered signing him, but also eventually declined due to concerns over the reported molestation case.