[New York Times] Yanks Count on Wang's Cool Amid Heat

[yyhong68 (come every now and then)]

Yanks Count on Wang's Cool Amid Heat
By TYLER KEPNER
Published: September 29, 2005

BALTIMORE, Sept. 28 - It was 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, and Chien-Ming Wang
was already in full uniform. He was one of the first Yankees in the
clubhouse, and the Fox network needed him for a promo. It was yet another
example of something that seemed implausible six months ago.

"Before the year, you see the starting pitchers for the Yankees and you say,
 'If they're healthy, there's no way these guys are coming up there,' "
said Wil Nieves, the catcher for Class AAA Columbus this season. "But you
never know. If someone got injured, Wang was ready down there. He just
needed a chance."

A series of injuries - first to Jaret Wright, then to Kevin Brown and
Carl Pavano - cleared a path for Wang, who quickly proved he had staying
power. He has been so impressive that the Yankees will eagerly give him
the ball Friday against the Boston Red Sox in a game of enormous importance.

Wang has never been to Fenway Park, much less pitched there. He is still
subject to rookie hazing; after his start last Sunday, the veterans made
him dress in a female cheerleader's outfit. But there was no hesitation
about letting him start Friday.

"You find yourself in the dugout, and you're not worried at all when he's
 pitching," Manager Joe Torre said. "That's the only thing I can go on."

Wang is 8-4 this season, with a 4.02 earned run average in 17 games -
16 starts. He missed two months with shoulder inflammation but has
become progressively sharper since his return Sept. 8. He has given up
5 runs in 15 innings in his past two starts.

"Win or lose Friday, he's shown that nothing really fazes him," catcher Jorge
Posada said. "That's why he's in the rotation. The way he conducts himself
and goes about his business, it's good to see. We're confident in him."

At 25, with no career starts against Boston, Wang may be in the perfect
position for such a critical start. Wright, who is now in the Yankees'
bullpen, can relate.

Wright was 21 - also with just 16 career regular-season starts - when the
Cleveland Indians named him the starter for Game 7 of the 1997 World Series.

It was a heady assignment, but Wright said he was not intimidated. He
carried a one-hit shutout into the seventh inning.

"It's just happening so fast, and you're just kind of riding it," Wright
said. "It's not something you think about, because you don't really know
any different. You just think that's the way it's supposed to be."

Wright, who would have won if the Florida Marlins had not rallied against
 Jose Mesa in the ninth, remembered feeling no pressure. He felt
invincible, he said, because all he had known was success.

"Your confidence is so high," Wright said. "There's never been a valley."

Wang's story is different, because the two-month layoff was an obvious
setback in his splendid season. But Wright said he sensed that Wang was
always relaxed and comfortable.

There is another reason to believe in him, Wright said. Wang's sinker is
exceptional, as Wright learned while they recovered from their injuries
this summer.

"He came down to Tampa, and we started playing catch, and he had the
heaviest ball that I've ever played catch with, as far as sinkers,"
Wright said. "If you could teach everyone what you need to make a ball
that heavy, then everybody would do it. That's such a valuable pitch,
and he throws an absolute bowling ball."

The pitch has been dropping better than ever lately. In Wang's past
two starts, he has gotten 35 of 45 outs on ground balls. Two starts ago,
he fielded nine grounders himself, two shy of the one-game assists
record for a pitcher.

"The reason for his success is his power sinker, 96 miles an hour," Posada
said. "I caught him in spring training against Houston, and I remember he
threw a sinker in to Jeff Bagwell. Bagwell stepped out and said, 'Oh boy.'

"That's the thing that told me how good this kid could be. We had a lot
 of pitchers back then, and we still didn't know if it was going to happen,
but I knew he was going to be up here during the year."

Now he is up and thriving at the most critical time. Wang, a native of
Taiwan who speaks little English in interviews, said he was "excited"
about Friday's start and had not asked his teammates what to expect.

"Just go to Boston and see," Wang said.

The sights will all be there for him Friday - the raucous fans hovering
above the bullpen before the game, the cramped clubhouse and dugout,
the deep and powerful Boston lineup.

 Wang will absorb it, and the Yankees will take their chances. They do
 not expect the biggest start of his life to change him.

"Nothing seems to bother him," General Manager Brian Cashman said.
 "He's unflappable."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/29/sports/baseball/29pins.html

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◆ From: 140.109.23.211
推 eukaryote:推保齡球哈哈笑死我了
推 AlanSung:為什麼我看到的標題是 Yanks Count on Wangs' Cool ....
※ 編輯: yyhong68        來自: 140.109.23.211       (09/29 13:33)
推 iceman0603:Wright頗欣賞王~
→ yyhong68:原來的標題是那樣，不過後來改了，SO我也改過來了
推 neutromind:看完還真熱血啊~~~
推 eukaryote:保齡球啦保齡球啦保齡球啦哈哈哈
推 onepiece01:滾球王XD
推 DK2s:滾球王....真的很貼切
推 doyna:Just go to Boston and see... 真酷啊~~XD
推 eight:拜託.....好心人翻一下
推 ruby0104:好想看那個 Fox 的 promo....
推 noral:正在譯
推 lazysmay:期待中..
推 terryyeh:Oh...boy....
推 char0000:有沒有神人可以翻譯一下XD
推 wjc:大概懂六七分而已,王真的是逼我去練我最不拿手的英文...囧rz
推 attrom:oh boy~ 真好笑...
推 leaveaway:oh boy~