A five-member coaching team from the New York Yankees is conducting a five-day baseball clinic in northern Taiwan for high school pitchers, catchers and coaches.
The clinic, held by the Yankees in conjunction with the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association under the auspices of Major League Baseball, opened on Wednesday at National Taiwan Sport University’s Taoyuan campus.
Fifty-six baseballers, including 40 pitchers and 10 catchers, from high school teams around Taiwan are taking part in the clinic, along with 20 coaches. The five-day clinic is focused on pitching and catching fundamentals and philosophy.
PHOTO: AP
Wang Chien-ming (王建民), the Yankees’ 28-year-old ace pitcher from Taiwan and a two-time 19-game winner, attended the opening of the clinic with his Yankees colleagues. They gave a Yankees baseball cap to each participant.
Wang encouraged the young baseball players to make greater efforts to learn baseball skills and to frequently drill themselves on those skills.
The Yankees coaching group is from the Yankees’ player development staff in Tampa, Florida.
Its five members are special assistant for player development and scouting Pat McMahon, extended spring training pitching coach Carlos Chantres, assistant director of baseball operations Eric Schmitt, catching coordinator Julio Mosquera and strength and conditioning coordinator Mike Wickland.
“Taiwan has given the Yankees one of its brightest stars in Chien-ming Wang,” Yankees senior vice president and general manager Brian Cashman said in a news release issued prior to the coaching team’s departure for Taiwan.
“We hope that this clinic demonstrates our deep respect and appreciation for a place that has given us such a talented player,” Cashman said.
After spending five years in the minor leagues and overcoming arm surgery, Tainan-born Wang joined the Yankees in 2005.
The 1.9m tall, 102kg right-hander emerged as the team’s most consistent starter in both 2006 and last year.
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