Chien-Ming Wang facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chien-Ming Wang
Wang pitching for the New York Yankees in 2006
CTBC Brothers – No. 40
Pitcher / Coach
Born: (1980-03-31) March 31, 1980 (age 45) Guanmiao, Tainan, Taiwan
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
April 30, 2005, for the New York Yankees
Last appearance
August 30, 2016, for the Kansas City Royals
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	68–34
Earned run average	4.36
Strikeouts	394
Teams
As player New York Yankees (2005–2009) Washington Nationals (2011–2012) Toronto Blue Jays (2013) Kansas City Royals (2016) As coach Fubon Guardians (2019) CTBC Brothers (2020–present)
Career highlights and awards
AL wins leader (2006)
Medals Representing  Chinese Taipei Men's baseball Asian Games Silver 2002 Busan Taiwan

Chien-Ming Wang (Chinese: 王建民; pinyin: Wáng Jiànmín; born March 31, 1980) is a former professional baseball pitcher from Taiwan. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for teams like the New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Kansas City Royals. He also played for the Taiwan national baseball team. Today, he is an assistant pitching coach for the CTBC Brothers.

Wang joined the Yankees as a free agent in 2000. He worked his way through their minor league system. He made his MLB debut in 2005. Wang was known for his strong sinker pitch. He became one of the Yankees' best starting pitchers in 2006 and 2007. He won 19 games in both seasons. In 2006, he led the American League in wins.

Wang faced challenges with injuries starting in 2008. He returned to the major leagues with the Washington Nationals in 2011. He later played for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Kansas City Royals. Wang was the third player from Taiwan to reach Major League Baseball.

Minor League Journey

Wang moved up through the New York Yankees' minor league teams. His jersey number 41 was retired by the Single-A Staten Island Yankees in 2006. He had a very low 1.75 ERA for Staten Island. This was the second-lowest in the team's history.

In 2003, Wang played for the World Team in the All-Star Futures Game. He was called up to the Yankees' Triple-A team, the Columbus Clippers, in 2005. Later, in 2013, Wang returned to the Yankees' Triple-A team, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

Major League Career

New York Yankees Years

Starting Strong: 2005–2007

Wang pitching for the New York Yankees in 2007

Chien-Ming Wang made his first MLB appearance on April 30, 2005. He pitched well against the Toronto Blue Jays. He allowed only two runs in seven innings. Wang finished his first season with an 8–5 record and a 4.02 earned run average.

In 2006, Wang had an amazing season. He won 19 games, which was tied for the most in the major leagues. He also had a 3.63 ERA. On July 28, 2006, he pitched his first complete-game win. It was a two-hit, 6–0 shutout against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Wang was especially strong in the second half of the season. He won 10 of his 14 starts.

Wang was very effective because he allowed very few home runs. He also got many ground ball outs. At the end of 2006, he finished second in the voting for the Cy Young Award. This award goes to the best pitcher in each league.

Wang started the 2007 season on the injured list. He hurt his right hamstring during spring training. He returned on April 24. On May 5, 2007, Wang pitched 7¹⁄₃ perfect innings. He was close to a perfect game before giving up a home run. In 2007, Wang again won 19 games. He was second in the American League in wins.

Facing Challenges: 2008–2009

Wang began the 2008 season as a top pitcher for the Yankees. He quickly reached 50 career wins. This made him one of the fastest pitchers to reach this milestone. However, on June 15, Wang injured his right foot while running the bases. This injury kept him from pitching for the rest of the season.

In 2009, Wang's regular season started with difficulties. He struggled in his first few games. There was concern that his foot injury from 2008 was affecting his pitching. He was later diagnosed with hip muscle weakness. Wang was placed on the disabled list. He returned to pitch briefly but then had shoulder soreness. He needed shoulder surgery on July 30, 2009. This ended his season. After the Yankees won the 2009 World Series, Wang was not re-signed by the team.

Washington Nationals Years: 2010–2012

Wang pitching for the Washington Nationals in 2011

On February 19, 2010, Wang signed with the Washington Nationals. He spent time recovering from his shoulder surgery. He did not pitch in the major leagues in 2010. Wang re-signed with the Nationals for 2011. He began his rehabilitation assignments in June.

Wang made his Nationals debut on July 29, 2011. He finished the season with 11 starts. He had a 4–3 record with a 4.04 ERA. He also got his first career hit and RBI. Wang re-signed with the Nationals for 2012. He had another injury to his left hamstring. He returned to pitch in May 2012.

Toronto Blue Jays: 2013

Wang pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2013

Wang signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees in March 2013. He later opted out of this contract. On June 9, 2013, he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. He joined their roster on June 11.

Wang earned his first win as a Blue Jay on June 16. He pitched seven shutout innings against the Texas Rangers. The Blue Jays then went on an 11-game winning streak. Wang started three games during this streak. He pitched well in those games. However, he struggled in his next two starts. He was then removed from the Blue Jays' roster. He later returned briefly in August.

Return to Minor Leagues: 2014–2015

After his time with the Blue Jays, Wang signed minor league contracts with several teams. These included the Cincinnati Reds in 2013 and the Chicago White Sox in 2014. He also signed with the Atlanta Braves for the 2014–15 offseason.

In 2015, Wang played for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. This is an independent baseball league team. He pitched well there. On July 12, 2015, he signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners.

Kansas City Royals: 2016

Wang pitching for the Kansas City Royals in 2016

On January 7, 2016, Wang signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals. He had a strong spring training. He made the Royals' opening day roster for the 2016 season as a relief pitcher.

On April 9, 2016, Wang pitched a scoreless inning. This was his first major league game since August 2013. Wang pitched in 38 games for the Royals that year. He had a 6–0 record with a 4.22 ERA. He was later placed on the disabled list and then released by the Royals in September 2016.

Playing for Taiwan

Wang pitching for Taiwan in 2013 World Baseball Classic

Wang pitched for the Chinese Taipei national baseball team in the 2002 Asian Games. In 2004, he led Taiwan to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. He pitched very well in these games.

When Wang played in the American major leagues, he was a hero in Taiwan. All of his games were shown on TV. Many people watched them on big screens. Because of his popularity, he was named one of the Time 100 most influential people in 2007.

At the 2013 World Baseball Classic, Wang started for the Taiwan team. He pitched six shutout innings against Australia and won the game. He also pitched well against Japan in the second round.

Coaching Career

Wang joined the Fubon Guardians in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League in June 2018. He was a guest coach. He stayed with the team through the 2019 season.

In 2020, Wang became a pitching coach for the CTBC Brothers. He focused on helping young pitchers on their farm team. In 2021, the Brothers announced Wang signed a new three-year contract to continue coaching. As of May 2023, Wang became the main team pitching coach for the CTBC Brothers.

Pitching Style

When Wang was at his best, he was a very skilled pitcher. He mainly used his powerful sinker pitch. This pitch moved sideways a lot and was very fast, usually around 91–94 miles per hour. His sinker was a big reason for his success.

Wang also threw a slider and sometimes a changeup or splitter. His slider looked like a fastball, which tricked batters. Wang was known for being efficient. He threw few walks and few home runs. He also got many ground ball outs, which often led to double plays. This helped him pitch deep into games with a low number of pitches.

Before 2008, Wang used his sinker about 90% of the time. After some tough games, he worked on using his slider and changeup more often.

Personal Life

Chien-Ming Wang is married to Chia-Ling Wu. They have two sons, J.J., born in 2009, and Wellington, born in 2013. A documentary about Wang's life, called Late Life: The Chien-Ming Wang Story, was released in theaters in October 2018.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball players from Taiwan
• List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders