Taipei, July 14 (CNA) Former MLB slugger Manny Ramirez arrived in Taiwan Friday to meet the Japanese Independent Baseball League's Kochi Fighting Dogs in Taitung County and is expected to play in an invitational tournament of Taiwan's East Coast League the following day.

The arrival of Ramirez, who played for the MLB for 19 years and for Taiwan's EDA Rhinos for nearly three months in 2013, created a huge sensation among local baseball fans.

Ramirez is expected to play for the Kochi Fighting Dogs as a designated hitter against the Taiwan Power Company's baseball team on Saturday in the tournament's opening game.

The East Coast League has invited eight teams, seven Taiwanese teams in addition to the Kochi Fighting Dogs, to compete in Taitung baseball village's first stadium and in the stadium in National Taitung University Affiliated Physical Education Senior High School from July 15-22.