Friday, April 29, 2005

Taiwan Players in MLB

"Speaking in Mandarin through a translator, Wang still appeared to be excited about replacing injured right-hander Jaret Wright in the Yankees' rotation. The 25-year-old right-hander from Taiwan, the top pitching prospect in New York's thin minor league system, had only been to Yankee Stadium twice before, visits while playing for the Yankees' Staten Island farm team."

Taiwan's Wang Chien Ming has been called up by the New York Yankees, and is expected to start later this week. Talk about pressure: the Yanks are reeling, and Wright is hurt, so Wang gets the call in a crisis situation. Scouting reports don't rave about him, calling him the best pitcher in a weak Yankees farm system.

Hualien's Tsao Chin Hui is generally considered to have more upside potential, with a blazing fastball. The knock on him is that he's easily injured. This year represents a crucial opportunity for him, with the Colorado Rockies giving him a chance at the closer role. So far, he hasn't blown any saves, but hasn't looked especially impressive, either. But it's early!