By Henry Lin Nowadays, you can hardly find a person in Taiwan who doesn’t know #40 Chien-Ming Wang, starting pitcher for the New York Yankees. The 26 year old rookie from Tainan has astounded baseball fans in both Taiwan and the U.S. with a terrific season. Beginning from April, the media in Taiwan has made huge coverage of Wang with every game he played in. With each win, fan’s adoration for Wang grew so that by the end of September, he has become a phenomenon. Just to give you some idea of how much fans are obsessed with Wang, some people are willing to pay thousands of NT dollars just to buy “Wang products” ranging from miniature figures of him to limited editions of “Wang easycards.” In short, “Wang hysteria” has permeated throughout the island. 2006 will be a season baseball fans won’t ever forget. In only his second year of major league baseball, Wang has an outstanding record of 19 wins and 6 losses to tie Minnesota Twins pitcher Johan Santana for the most wins. What’s more, Wang now has the most wins ever by an Asian pitcher in a season. That record, previously held by South Korea right-hander Chan Ho Park with 18 wins, was surpassed by Wang on September 28 in a win against the Baltimore Eagles. With 19 wins and a 3.63 ERA, Wang can be justified as the best Asian pitcher of the year. Wang has been praised in every respect. His coach and teammates credit him for his resilience in crucial moments of the ball game, injecting the team with a dose of confidence every time he takes to the mound. The Taiwanese press has practically made Wang a living god. The more impartial New York press on the other hand, has also been impressed by this “soft-spoken” pitcher from Taiwan. Even Wang’s adversaries are struck with awe at his signature pitch: the sinker, making an analogy between his sinkerball and a bowling ball. Wang’s steady improvement over the years is like that of a river on a delta, a slow accretion of sediment whose new contours are visible only over time.
What is it about this pitcher that appears so calm and composed? Unlike other pitchers, especially rookies, who are highly susceptible in front of thousands of raucous fans, Wang displays high levels of endurance and fortitude even when faced with adversities. He’s so calm and placid on the mound that he seems even apathetic, which makes his pitches even more unpredictable. Faced with unrelenting questions from the press (especially Taiwanese reporters), Wang always responds with few words and a casual shrug, highlighting his composed demeanor even more. With each batter he sends off, fans in Taiwan scream with excitement while Wang calmly faces his next opponent. Throughout the season, Wang steadily improves his game so that he has become pivotal for the Yankees’ pitching staff. But even with his success, he doesn’t show the arrogance and pomposity that some players do. Instead, he humbly ascribes his wins to his teammates and coach. Chien-Ming Wang, the youngster who grew up in Taiwan, who has struggled so hard to become a great pitcher, has gained international prominence and become the pride of Taiwan. But more importantly is the lesson Wang has taught us all: strive to become the best but always be humble at heart. I believe we’ll expect more to come of this promising new star! a
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May 2024
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