Taiwanese pitcher Wang Chien-ming, who arrived home yesterday for a month-long stay, said he is hoping to play Major League Baseball next year, but will also consider retiring if he does not find the right situation.
“I do not have any expectations. If there is a team that wants me, I will play. If there is not, [I might] retire,” Wang said on arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. “My agents are in contact with teams. I have not heard anything.”
Wang was designated for assignment by his former team, the Kansas City Royals, in September, meaning he was removed from the team’s 40-man roster and essentially let go.
Photo: Yao Chieh-hsiu, Taipei Times
The 36-year-old Wang is now a free agent, but asked by reporters about his hopes were for next year, Wang said he was not thinking too much about where his career will take him.
Looking back at his performance this season, Wang said he did his best.
“All these years of training were meant to prepare me for the moment this year,” he said. “Even though I did not play too many games, I made the most of every opportunity I had.”
Wang said he would attend a baseball camp in Pingtung County from Tuesday through Friday next week and join players from the Chinese Professional Baseball League in a charity golf event in Miaoli County on Dec. 28.
The right-hander appeared in 38 games for the Royals this season, compiling a 6-0 record and a 4.22 ERA. He worked 53-1/3 innings out of the bullpen and had 30 strikeouts and 18 walks.
Wang become a folk hero in Taiwan from 2005 to 2008 when he starred for the New York Yankees, but a foot injury in 2008 and arm injuries in 2009 sent his career into a downward spiral.
He is still popular in Taiwan and Royals games were regularly broadcast this season so that people could see him pitch live.
STILL IN THE HUNT: Rasmus Hojlund took his goal tally for SSC Napoli to nine as the champions cruised to a win at US Cremonese and stayed two points behind the leaders Inter on Sunday stayed at the Serie A summit after beating Atalanta BC 1-0 to maintain their slender lead over local rivals AC Milan. Lautaro Martinez netted the only goal of the game in Bergamo for Inter, who lead Milan, 3-0 winners against Hellas Verona thanks to Christoper Nkunku’s first Serie A goals, by a single point at the top of the division. The Argentina striker has scored in four consecutive league matches to end what has been a tricky year in positive style. “I ended last season in a lot of pain... I kept going during the Club World Cup and international
Hosts Morocco on Friday were held to a 1-1 draw by Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations, ending their world record run of wins and leaving them still to make sure of progress to the next stage. Midfielder Brahim Diaz tucked away a penalty in stoppage-time at the end of the first half, but Mali equalized from the spot midway through the second half through Lassine Sinayoko. Both penalties were awarded after video reviews in a tempestuous clash at the end of a busy day of action at the tournament. Morocco were atop the Group A standings with four points, while Zambia,
Algeria on Sunday became the third country after Egypt and Nigeria to qualify for the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations by edging Burkina Faso 1-0 in Rabat through a Riyad Mahrez penalty. Defending champions Ivory Coast failed to join the trio after drawing 1-1 with Cameroon in a lively showdown in Marrakesh. Elsewhere, Mozambique ended a 39-match wait for a first victory by beating Gabon 3-2, while Sudan got back into contention for a last-16 slot by beating Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Casablanca. Captain Mahrez converted from the penalty spot midway through the first half and Algeria then held on
Supermaxis Master Lock Comanche and defending champions LawConnect yesterday continued their close duel on the second day of the 80th running of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Just over 27 hours into the race that began on Friday in Sydney Harbour and is to end on the island state of Tasmania, Comanche had a 4 nautical mile (7.4km) lead over LawConnect. LawConnect was forced to contend with a broken mainsheet and halyard overnight, but fixed both issues and remained in pursuit of Comanche, which is skippered by Matt Allen and James Mayo. “We had a few things slow us down and Comanche’s
RSS