Chien-Ming Wang: Difference between revisions
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== Taiwan == |
== Taiwan == |
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Wang pitched for the [[Taiwan national baseball team|Chinese Taipei |
Wang pitched for the [[Taiwan national baseball team|Chinese Taipei national baseball team]] in the [[2002 Asian Games|2002]] [[Asian Games]]. In 2004, as the apparent ace of the staff, Wang led the [[Chinese Taipei at the 2004 Summer Olympics|Chinese Taipei team]] to the [[2004 Olympic Games]] in [[Athens]]. Against [[Australia national baseball team|Australia]], he allowed just three hits with no walks, and at one point retired nine batters in row, to earn the [[win (baseball)|win]]. He also limited [[Japan national baseball team|Japan]] to just five hits in the first six innings; however, the Japanese rallied in the seventh inning against Wang to tie the game with three runs. [[Japan]] won the game, preventing [[Taiwan]] from advancing to the next round. |
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He is the third major leaguer from Taiwan, following [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Dodgers]] outfielder [[Chin-Feng Chen]] and [[Colorado Rockies|Rockies]] pitcher [[Chin-Hui Tsao]], and is by far the most successful. Since being called up to the majors, Wang has been idolized in his native country where all of his games are televised nationwide, many on big screens to large audiences. This is still true even though he decided not to pitch in the [[2006 World Baseball Classic]]. |
He is the third major leaguer from Taiwan, following [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Dodgers]] outfielder [[Chin-Feng Chen]] and [[Colorado Rockies|Rockies]] pitcher [[Chin-Hui Tsao]], and is by far the most successful. Since being called up to the majors, Wang has been idolized in his native country where all of his games are televised nationwide, many on big screens to large audiences. This is still true even though he decided not to pitch in the [[2006 World Baseball Classic]]. |
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Revision as of 00:38, 7 February 2007
| Chien-Ming Wang | |
|---|---|
 | |
| New York Yankees – No. 40 | |
| Starting pitcher | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| debut | |
| April 30, 2005, for the New York Yankees | |
| Career statistics (through 2006) | |
| Record | 27-11 |
| ERA | 3.77 |
| K | 123 |
| Groundouts | 627 |
Chien-Ming Wang (Chinese: 王建民; pinyin: Wáng Jiànmín; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ông Kiànbîn) born March 31, 1980 in Tainan City, Taiwan, is a starting pitcher for the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball. He was initially signed as an amateur free-agent for the 2000 season, playing for the Staten Island Yankees.
Taiwan
Wang pitched for the Chinese Taipei national baseball team in the 2002 Asian Games. In 2004, as the apparent ace of the staff, Wang led the Chinese Taipei team to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Against Australia, he allowed just three hits with no walks, and at one point retired nine batters in row, to earn the win. He also limited Japan to just five hits in the first six innings; however, the Japanese rallied in the seventh inning against Wang to tie the game with three runs. Japan won the game, preventing Taiwan from advancing to the next round.
He is the third major leaguer from Taiwan, following Dodgers outfielder Chin-Feng Chen and Rockies pitcher Chin-Hui Tsao, and is by far the most successful. Since being called up to the majors, Wang has been idolized in his native country where all of his games are televised nationwide, many on big screens to large audiences. This is still true even though he decided not to pitch in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
The Yankees
In 2005, Wang was called up from the Yankees' AAA affiliate, the Columbus Clippers. In the first season as a major league player, he earned 8 wins and 5 losses with 4.02 ERA. In addition, he pitched for the first time in a post-season game against the Los Angeles Angels.
On September 19, 2005, Wang tied a record for assists in a game by a pitcher with nine.
On June 3, 2006, Wang recorded his first major league save in a win over the Baltimore Orioles. He recorded his first complete game on June 18, 2006 against the Washington Nationals, but it was a bittersweet accomplishment as he allowed a 1-out, 2-run, walk-off home run by Ryan Zimmerman to lose the game 3-2.
His first complete game win was on July 28, 2006, a 2-hit, 6-0 shutout of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Yankee Stadium. In his next start, he threw eight shutout innings against the Toronto Blue Jays, in which he got an outstanding 18 ground ball outs. Were it not for the extreme heat in New York that day, he probably would've had an excellent chance of achieving shutouts in two consecutive starts, an extremely rare feat in this age of heavy emphasis on relief pitching, as he had a 7-0 lead.[citation needed]
Wang posted a 19-6 record with a 3.63 ERA along with 76 strikeouts, 407 ground outs, and 2.84 ground outs/fly outs ratio in 2006 season. He limited batters to a .211 batting average while games were tied, and a .205 batting average in games that were late and close, and limited Tampa Bay to a .159 batting average while beating them 3 times in 4 starts. His 19 wins in 2006 broke the record for wins in a season by an Asian pitcher formerly held by Chan Ho Park. Along with Minnesota Twins ace Johan Santana, Wang led both leagues in wins.
He also was the Yankees Game One starter going into the postseason as the unlikely ace.[1] The first game of the 2006 postseason against the Detroit Tigers ended up with the score of 8-4. Wang earned his first career postseason win on October 3, 2006, with 6.2 innings of pitching allowing only 3 earned runs. Wang is the first ethnic Asian starting pitcher to have won a post season game. During the 2006 season, he surpassed his total innings pitched in any other season, including those in Major League Baseball and in Taiwan.
At the end of the season, Wang finished second to Santana in voting for the Cy Young award. Wang collected 15 second-place votes, and 51 points. He also received a ninth-place vote, good for two points, in the AL MVP balloting won by Justin Morneau. In the MLB's This Year in Baseball Awards, he was voted the top starter in 2006 season with more than 47% of voters. [2]
Pitching
Chien-Ming Wang is a sinkerball pitcher. His sinker and four-seam fastball combination typically sits between 92mph and 95mph, and can hit speeds up to 97 mph. In the major leagues, Wang throws his sinker to both right and left handers, but Wang features an improving mid-eighties slider, which he throws primarily to right handers. Wang also possesses a low eighties split-fingered fastball/forkball that he will occasionally throw to lefties. Wang's splitter is a distant third pitch, and it is considered to be a work-in-progress. Wang's pitching style is characterized by efficiency, command of the strike zone, few walks, few home runs allowed and very few strikeouts. Wang works quickly and uses his ground-ball inducing sinker to produce many double plays. This efficiency often allows Wang to maintain a low pitch count deep into games. Since his promotion to the major leagues, Wang is considered to have vastly improved his effectiveness out of the stretch and his ability to avoid getting distracted by runners on base, a problem that had affected him earlier in the year.[citation needed]
In Taiwan and the minor leagues, Wang threw a more conventional assortment of pitches, including a four-seam fastball, a changeup, and far more splitters. The sinker, which has become Wang's signature pitch, was developed during his minor league career with advice from former Yankee pitcher and pitching coach, Mel Stottlemyre.[citation needed]
Trivia
- Height: 6'3" Weight: 220
- Wang enters to "Let's Get It Started" by the Black Eyed Peas.
- Wang's number 41 was retired on July 27, 2006 by the Staten Island Yankees where he played minor league A ball for two years and posted an ERA of 1.75, which was the second lowest in franchise history.[3] The first 2000 fans at the ceremony received a limited edition Chien-Ming Wang bobblehead doll that features rare "life-like" hair.[4]
- Wang was actually the biological child of his uncle and aunt, and his parents had adopted him. Because of the Taiwanese media frenzy over this issue, Wang declared in August 18th 2006 that he would not accept interviews with the Taiwanese media until further notice. Later on, Wang's agent stated on his behalf in August 30th 2006 that the above declaration has been lifted.[5]
References
- ^ Feinsand, Mark (2006-10-01). "Expected or not, Wang takes ace role". MLB.com. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
{{cite news}}: More than one of|author=and|last=specified (help) - ^ 2006 This Year in Baseball Awards result
- ^ "Wang's Number Retired". SIYankes.com. Retrieved 2007-01-23.
- ^ "Wang Returns Home". SIYankes.com. Retrieved 2007-01-23.
- ^ Sports hero takes media to task over intrusive reports