The official website of the Kansas City Royals has reported on Wang Chien-ming as he returns to the Major Leagues. After Wang spent the past two years in the Minors, the Royals were the only Major League team that called him. According to the report, the 36-year old Taiwanese pitcher said he may have retired had it not been for the call.
Wang has made a strong comeback as a reliever for the Kansas City Royals. In his first game of the season last Saturday, he pitched 22 balls during the ninth inning, all sinkers, gaining 13 strikes and allowing no hits. Facing Park Byung-ho, who hit a homer in his major league debut the previous day, Wang threw a sinker that was clocked at 148kph.
Royals’ reporter, Jeffrey Flanagan, says that Wang now has to deal with Taiwan’s media, which is chronicling his every move. He is followed by several Taiwan reporters every day and asked questions whether he pitches or not. During Spring Training, a Taiwan media group filmed him almost every day for a documentary.
Wang said the number of Taiwan reporters following him isn’t nearly as high as it was during his Yankees days, but it is still a part of life that he tolerates. But he says that sometimes the media can help combat loneliness, as none of his teammates speak Mandarin.