On April 30,2005,Chien-ming Wang stepped onto the mound at Yankee Stadium. The young pitcher had every reason to be nervous.
Wang was about to throw his first pitch in a U.S. Major League game. Expectations for him were high. The Yankees had lost three games. They needed to win this one.
But if Wang was nervous, he didn’t show it. The rookie pitcher retired thr first 10 batters he faced. He pitched seven innings and only gave up six hits. The Yankeeswon, 4-3.
Since his first Major League game, Wnag has become a local hero in Taiwan. The media reporter on every game he plays. And thousands of young players aspire to be like him. He has given kids hope that they too can play in the Major Leagurs.
"All kids who play baseball here... are watching Wang," said baseball fan Kai-Chun Cheng. "Wang is their hero, their role model, their future."
Perhaps what is most inspiring about Wang is just how far he’s come. This sports hero hasn’t always looked like someonoe destined for fame.
Wang began playing baseball in the fourth grade. His coaches were unimpressed with him at first. They thought he was too thin and weak. His parents also saw how exhaustong the sport was for him. They worried the physical exertion woult leave too tired for his schoolwork. But Wang wouldn’t give up baseball. He kept practicing hard. Soon he began to show promise.
At age 17, he qualified to play for the Chinese Taipei team in the Junior World Championships in Canada. And That’s when he made a very unexpected discoveery.
As Wang was preparing his travel documents, he came across his family’s household registry. To his surprise, the document his parents listed him as "adopted."
He immediately confronted his parents. They explained that Wnag’s birth father was his "uncle." His parents adopted him because they had no boys of their own.
Wang cound not accept this difficult truth. He was so upset he even refused to play baseball. But with his parents’ guidance, he came to terms with his identity ane returned to playing ball. At thr Junior World Championships, his team won a silver medal.
Wang continued to improve his pitching in college. By then, he could throw 95-mile-per-hour fastball. His performance drew the attention of professional baseball leagues in Japan and America. In 2000, he was drafted into the U.S. Minor Leagues.
Since then, his accomplishments have been impressive. Besides a superb Minor League performance, he has also competed well for Taiwan in international competitions. He was named Most Valuable Player for Taiwan at the 2002 Asian Games. He also pitched for the Chinese-Taipei team at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
In April 2005, Wang got called up to the Major Leagues. The Yankee’s starting pitcher, Jaret Wright, had just been injured. The team called Wang to fill in.
Wang’s first game gave the Yankees a muchneeded victory. The team went on to win its division title. And Wang became the first player from Taiwan to compete in a Mahor League playoff game.
While not only Taiwanese player in the Major Leagues, Wang is by far the most accomplished. He is, without a doubt, Taiwan’s "king" of baseball.
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空中英語教室＊９／４～９／６
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