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 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 in Taiwan.

Wang joined the Yankees as a young player in 2000. He quickly moved up through their minor league teams. He made his MLB debut in 2005. Wang was known for his powerful sinker pitch. He became one of the Yankees' best starting pitchers in 2006 and 2007, winning 19 games in both seasons. He even led the American League in wins in 2006.

Sadly, Wang faced several injuries. A foot injury in 2008 and arm injuries in 2009 and 2010 affected his playing time. He returned to the major leagues with the Washington Nationals in 2011. Later, he played for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Kansas City Royals. Wang was the third player from Taiwan to reach Major League Baseball.

Wang's Early Career in Baseball

Wang started his journey through the New York Yankees' minor league system. He played for teams like the Staten Island Yankees. In 2006, the Staten Island Yankees even retired his jersey number 41 because of his great performance. He had a very low earned run average (ERA) of 1.75 for them.

In 2003, Wang was chosen to play for the World Team in the All-Star Futures Game. This game features some of the best young players in baseball. By 2005, he was called up from the Yankees' top minor league team, the Columbus Clippers, to play in the major leagues.

Playing in Major League Baseball

New York Yankees Years (2005–2009)

First Seasons (2005–2007)

Wang pitching for the New York Yankees in 2007

Chien-Ming Wang made his first MLB appearance on April 30, 2005, against the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched very well, allowing only two runs over seven innings. He finished his first season with 8 wins and 5 losses, and an ERA of 4.02.

In 2006, Wang had an amazing season. He won 19 games, which was tied for the most wins in all of Major League Baseball. He also pitched two complete games, including a shutout against the Tampa Bay Rays. A shutout means the other team didn't score any runs while he was pitching. Wang was especially strong in the second half of the season. He won 10 of his last 14 starts.

Wang was very good at getting batters to hit ground balls, which often led to easy outs or double plays. He had one of the lowest rates of giving up home runs in the league. At the end of the 2006 season, 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 a bit later due to a hamstring injury. On May 5, 2007, he almost pitched a perfect game against the Seattle Mariners. He pitched 7 and 1/3 perfect innings before giving up a home run. He also had a career-high 10 strikeouts in a game against the New York Mets. In 2007, Wang again won 19 games, showing he was one of the top pitchers in baseball.

Injuries and Challenges (2008–2009)

In 2008, Wang started the season as the Yankees' top pitcher. He quickly reached 50 career wins, becoming one of the fastest pitchers to do so in many years. However, on June 15, 2008, he hurt his right foot while running the bases during a game against the Houston Astros. This injury was serious and kept him from pitching for the rest of the season.

Wang returned in 2009, but he struggled a lot at the beginning of the season. Many people thought his foot injury from 2008 might have affected his pitching style. He was later diagnosed with hip muscle weakness and had to go on the disabled list. After a brief return, he was placed on the disabled list again in July 2009 due to shoulder soreness. He needed shoulder surgery, which ended his season. After the 2009 season, the Yankees decided not to re-sign him, making him a free agent.

Washington Nationals (2010–2012)

Wang pitching for the Washington Nationals in 2011

In 2010, Wang signed with the Washington Nationals. He spent this year recovering from his shoulder surgery and working to get back to pitching. He re-signed with the Nationals for 2011. After more rehabilitation, he finally made his Nationals debut on July 29, 2011. He finished the season with 4 wins and 3 losses in 11 starts.

Wang re-signed with the Nationals again for the 2012 season. He faced another injury, this time to his left hamstring. He returned to pitch later in the season but struggled to find his earlier form.

Toronto Blue Jays (2013)

Wang pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2013

In 2013, Wang signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees again, but he chose to become a free agent in June. Soon after, he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. He had a great start with the Blue Jays, helping them win 11 games in a row. During this winning streak, Wang pitched very well in his three starts. However, his performance then dropped, and he was later released by the Blue Jays.

Kansas City Royals (2016)

Wang pitching for the Kansas City Royals in 2016

After playing in the minor leagues for a few years, Wang signed with the Kansas City Royals in 2016. He made the team's opening day roster as a relief pitcher. On April 9, 2016, he pitched in his first major league game since 2013. He pitched well for the Royals, finishing the season with 6 wins and 0 losses. He was later placed on the disabled list with an arm injury and was released by the team.

Playing for Taiwan

Wang pitching for Taiwan in 2013 World Baseball Classic

Chien-Ming Wang has proudly represented his home country, Taiwan, in many international baseball competitions. He pitched for the Chinese Taipei national baseball team in the 2002 Asian Games. In 2004, he was the main pitcher for Taiwan at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. He helped Taiwan win games against strong teams like Australia.

Because of his success in Major League Baseball, Wang became a huge star in Taiwan. All of his games were shown on TV, and many people would gather to watch them on big screens. He was even named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2007.

Wang also pitched for Taiwan in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He had excellent performances, including six shutout innings against Australia and Japan.

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Wang became a coach. In 2018, he joined the Fubon Guardians in Taiwan's professional baseball league as a guest coach. In 2020, he became a pitching coach for the CTBC Brothers. He mostly worked with the team's younger players on their farm team. In 2023, he moved up to become the pitching coach for the main CTBC Brothers team.

Wang's Pitching Style

When Wang was at his best, he was known for his unique pitching style. His main pitch was a powerful sinker. This pitch moved sideways and was very fast, usually between 91 and 94 miles per hour. It was very hard for batters to hit because it would drop suddenly. This made batters hit a lot of ground balls, which often led to double plays.

Wang also threw a slider and a changeup. He was very efficient, meaning he didn't throw many extra pitches. He rarely gave up walks or home runs, but he also didn't get many strikeouts. His goal was to get batters to hit the ball on the ground quickly.

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 his life and baseball journey, called Late Life: The Chien-Ming Wang Story, was released in 2018.

See also

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